Celibacy syndrome ( ja, セックスしない症候群, ''sekkusu shinai shōkōgun'') is a media hypothesis proposing that a growing number of Japanese adults have lost interest in

sexual activity Human sexual activity, human sexual practice or human sexual behaviour is the manner in which humans experience and express their sexuality. People engage in a variety of sexual acts, ranging from activities done alone (e.g., masturbation) ...

and have also lost interest in

romantic love Romance or romantic love is a feeling of love for, or a strong attraction towards another person, and the courtship behaviors undertaken by an individual to express those overall feelings and resultant emotions. The ''Wiley Blackwell Ency ...

dating Dating is a stage of romantic relationships in which two individuals engage in an activity together, most often with the intention of evaluating each other's suitability as a partner in a future intimate relationship. It falls into the categor ...

and

marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

. Following a report in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', the theory gained widespread attention in English media outlets in 2013, and was subsequently refuted by several journalists and bloggers.

Reports and causes

In addition to celibacy, the theory cites declining numbers of marriages and declining birthrates in Japan. According to surveys conducted by the Japan Association for Sex Education, between 2011 and 2013, the number of female college students reporting to be virgins increased. Additionally, surveys conducted by the Japanese Family Planning Association (JFPA) indicated a high number of Japanese women who reported that they "were not interested in or despised sexual contact". Meanwhile, surveys conducted by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research in Japan in 2008 and 2013, revealed that the number of Japanese men and women reporting to not be in any kind of romantic relationship grew by 10%. The theory attributes two possible causes for these reports: the past two decades of economic stagnation as well as high gender inequality in Japan.

Criticism

Joshua Keating accused ''The Guardian'' and other media outlets of using "cherry-picked" data in order to make a sensational claim that appeals to Western notions of a "weird Japan". ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' pointed to contrary statistics that indicate that Japanese youth are having sex more frequently than ever.

References

{{Human sexuality and sexology Sexology Non-sexuality Celibacy Interpersonal relationships Emotional issues Shyness Sexual attraction Asexuality

Reports and causes

Criticism

See also

References