The depiction of nude human beings in Japanese print, film, and electronic media is reported. Modern practices are then related to traditional Japanese culture. The various contexts in which nudes are regularly presented are described and various types of nude presentations are classified. It is suggested that the nude body evokes different responses in Japanese culture and is not always intended to convey sexual or erotic meanings. Sentiment, particularly that evoked by the family and motherhood, and nonsexual humor, are other responses that nudity is intended to elicit. The Japanese situation is compared to presentation of nudity in the United States.
Key words nudity - erotica - Japanese culture - law - pornography
The material upon which this paper is based was collected during 1986–1987 while I was a Visiting Research Professor of Social Anthropology at the Institute for the Study of the Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Tokyo Foreign Studies University. The data and conclusions in this paper are entirely mine for which neither the institute, the university, or Ministry of Education of Japan are responsible.