Pedophilia in Japan

[Cody]

Hi all,

I am writing a research proposal on pedophilia that analyse the body of the child as site of struggle and exercise of power, including that of the child himself, the Japanese state, and the autonomy of the family.

I am having a really hard time looking for reliable (i.e. non-waiwai) source on current Japanese society's attitude toward pedophilia, lorikon, and sexuality of children. My impression is that Japanese do not share the westerner's hysteric panic over sexuality of children, but I don't have anything to back it up, other than a few personal interviews with Japanese students in my University and some statistic I found online. But I don't know how meaningful these statistics are, I am under the impression that children in Japan generally are reluctant to report sexual abuse, and police are also reluctant to intrude family matters.

If anybody has any source that would reflect contemporary Japanese society's attitude on pedophilia/ sexualization of children, please respond to this thread or e-mail me at raccoon@uvic.ca

Just to clearify, any suggestion/ info is welcome, but I am mostly looking for resources concerning pedophilia that involves real children, and not so much the proliferation of fantasy material that feature children/ chibi as sex objects, such as computer generated animation or manga drawings or stories of pedophilia literatures.

Any info on enjokosai also welcome, but again, preferably academic/ government source that follow academic conventions.

Thanx a lot!

-Cody

[kabutoki]

Is it only contemporary Japan you´re looking at in your paper ?

Karsten

[Cody]

Originally posted by kabutoki
Is it only contemporary Japan you´re looking at in your paper ?

Karsten

Hi Karsten,

Contemporary Japan would be the focus of my research proposal, but historical information could be useful. I wouldn't mind discussing the influence of contact with the West and globalization of "morality."

-Cody

[kabutoki]

Hi,
my thoughts went way back in the days of samurai pedophilia and the role of the young monk apprentices in temples. I know our library has some books on the topic but I´m not sure how many of them are in english. I´ll try and find something...

Karsten

[Joseph Svinth]

Regarding Karsten's post, try http://www.geocities.co.jp/Berkeley/3508/otogizoshi.html . It's a reference to a stage play, but these would at least suggest popular attitudes.

[Cody]

Thanks Joe,

-Cody

[allan]

Hi Cody. Very interesting research that you are conducting. For historical - literary material you may want to check out a book available at the Victoria public library --downtown branch. I believe that the title is THE GREAT MIRROR OF MALE LOVE by ihara saikaku or saikaku ihara. If you can't find this please PM me and I will try to remember more definitely.

Happy New Year.
Regards,

[Michael Wert]

You need to check out "Cartographies of Desire: Male Male Sexuality in Japanese Discourse 1600-1950" by Gregory Pflugfelder (a Prof. at Columbia U.)

This is one of the best books on the subject (its required reading for any grad. student working on Tokugawa Japan such as myself, and is a very well written book).

Michael Wert
UC Irvine

[Cody]

Thanx everyone, I will take a look.

-C

[Joseph Svinth]

Motherlode: http://w00.middlebury.edu/ID085A/manga/biblio.html

Duke University also has an anthro prof whose specialty is modern Japanese culture, particularly manga, Pokemon, and what-not. So, there ought to be all kinds of interesting stuff listed in their library catalog.

[Tri-ring]

The link connects to tokyo prefectual goverment e-site on child abuse white paper.
I don't know how much it helps but I think it falls into the category you are looking for.

http://www.fukushi.metro.tokyo.jp/press_reles/2001/pr1005.htm

I think this problems roots down to difference in religion and concept of sin and shame, the same with openess towards or against sex and prostitution .

Here is another site is a attitude survey concerning "Enjokosai" by high schoolers.

http://www.awf.or.jp/help/manual/enko/e_main.html

Good luck!

[Mekugi]

Another thing you may want to try is looking at old newspaper articles online. You can search under molest or rape and you'll see some of the original "white" reports on them.

Kind of sick really. Teachers have been involved in this for years, sexual abuse is sometimes viewed as "no big deal".

Lately (and finally) they have begun to move the child Sexual abuse manga out of childrens eyes (well, in Kanto they had a movement....nothing heard since). Where I live there is a chain bookstores that had Childrens literature Kiddy-cornered to the Child sex Manga on their display end-bases. I means two steps and a kid can see this in plain view. I saw a kid one time I was there renting "TERMINATOR 3" walk around and begin to look at this stuff (opening and reading the crap), about 7 minutes later the mom came around and scolded them. Yeah, too little to late methinks. I have had my son on the Shinkansen sitting across from a man reading said manga in clear view of him, at which point I got the attention the walk through conductor and DEMANDED to be reseated. No big deal, the pervert didn't even wince at my complaint and managed a grin.

Some people on E-Budo say that I am TOO WESTERN and DON'T UNDERSTAND THE CULTURE (all of them being from North European countries and virtually no contact with Japan unless you count reading books as Experience). However, having sex with children, I believe, is a universal no-no.

BLARG I need a shower.

-Russ