Sexuality in Japan developed separately from that of mainland Asia , [ clarification needed ] as Japan did not adopt the Confucian view of marriage , in which chastity is highly valued.
Monogamy in marriage is often thought to be less important in Japan, and sometimes married men may seek pleasure from courtesans. Prostitution in Japan has a long history, and became especially popular during the Japanese economic miracle , as evening entertainments were tax-deductible.
Decreased sex drive in the 21st century has been blamed for the low Japanese birth rate and declining growth of the Japanese population. Arguably [ 2 ] mass-produced pornography in Japan may have begun as early as the Edo period — , as erotic artwork referred to as shunga that was typically produced with woodblock prints in the 1,'s.
These erotic images were declared obscene and banned in by the Tokugawa shogunate , although they continued to be produced underground in smaller numbers.
In contemporary times Japanese pornography has gained a worldwide following and is frequently translated and exported to other cultures because of its large spectrum of themes and media. Most shunga are a type of ukiyo-e , the main artistic genre of woodblock printing in Japan.
