Sex therapist Kim Myung Gun tries to explain why masturbation has become such a
taboo topic for Japanese women.
"Masturbation for men involves expelling the pleasure outside of their bodies
in an action that's kind of like expunging any other waste product. But for
women, there's no ejaculation involved and all the pleasure remains inside
them, so talking about masturbation involves revealing to other people their
innermost selves," the sex expert tells Cyzo. "I'd say that's why women are
ashamed by masturbation and tend to treat talk of the practice as a taboo."
Kim adds that a woman's home environment while she's growing up has a
tremendous influence on her adult attitude toward masturbation. He says that
if, for example, her parents did not get along well and her mother developed a
negative attitude toward men, this would make a woman wary of men, suppress her
curiosity about sex and tend to strengthen inhibitions she had about physical
intimacy and self-pleasure.
Dr. Kunio Kitamura, head of the Japan Family Planning Association Clinic
agrees.
"Women should become more active about masturbation," Kitamura says.
Kitamura says he has been researching Japanese sexuality for more than 30 years
and is disappointed that women don't take enough advantage of their chances to
masturbate.
"Many women come to my clinic with worries because a man has suggested their
performance in bed was no good and that they're probably frigid. I tell them
not to worry and that 'frigid' is a word that selfish men have made up because
they don't care enough for women," Kitamura says. "Even if they can't orgasm
during sex, many women are able to reach a climax by masturbating. Remember sex
involves somebody else, even if they are a beloved husband or lover. I think
it's a bonus if they can derive sexual pleasure while engaged with one of those
beloved people. That's why, to have fruitful sex, a woman should explore her
body through masturbation so that she can find out where she feels good and
then direct a man toward those areas when they are having sex
together."Kitamura says Japan's patriarchal structure is harmful.
"Japan's male-dominated society," the doctor tells Cyzo, "is a major obstacle
for women's masturbation."
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