Pink Samurai: The Pursuit and Politics of Sex in Japan [Paperback]

Nicholas Bornoff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2001

A history of Japanese sexual mores and a survey of modern Japanese love, marriage and family life. The author explores the subject starting with creation myths and ending with present-day love hotels, soap ladies, porn videos and sex shows. He discusses the Japanese attitude to bringing up children, marriage, work and alcohol. What emerges is a race refeshingly guilt-free about sex, but at the same time mother-fixated, voyeuristic, obsessed with the female genitalia and whose national pastime is peering beneath skirts.

Editorial Reviews

Review

³Bornoff possesses a gift as a reporter... Animated and amusing.² -- THE SUNDAY TIMES

From the Publisher

To the Western mind, the Japanese attitude toward sex is at once bizarrely structured yet refreshingly frank. In a land where marriages can still be arranged and a woman¹s place is most definitely in the home, love hotels dot the landscape and late-night television is brazenly risqué by Western standards. Censorship is perverse: no pubic hair may be shown, yet violent porno-comics featuring gang-rape and mutilation are openly read on the train. Homosexuality has a long, venerable history of tolerance, but an office worker ‹ gay or not ‹ will forgo promotion if he doesn¹t marry. These are just some of the paradoxes explored in this provocative book. Written nearly a decade ago, but still timely, this is an eye-opening examination of Japanese love, marriage, and eroticism.

Product Details

• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: Trafalgar Square (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0586205764
• ISBN-13: 978-0586205761
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.3 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,776,009 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive - But Unfocused, September 25, 2001

By 

Thomas Graves (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pink Samurai: The Pursuit and Politics of Sex in Japan (Paperback)

Pink Samurai is comprehensive survey of Japanese society and its approach to sexuality. The most interesting sections of the book are those dealing with historical developments - although the viewing of Heian Period sexuality through the lens of 'The Tale of Genji' has been done many times before, and there is really nothing new here. The book is neither here nor there, neither serious historical analysis, nor exhaustive chronicle of modern (commercial) sex in Japan, which is - by many estimates - the single largest industry in the country.
Bornoff's discussion of modern Japan seems oddly dated, perhaps domonstrating how quickly things change in the ten years since the book was written. One also gets the impression that much of the 'research' for Pink Samurai must have been done as long ago as the 1970's. The porn stars who are seriously discussed as icons for contemporary erotic mores have long since vanished into obscurity, as have all of the TV programs mentioned. The book is also light on its handling of Japan's serious problems with school-girl prostitution & child pornography. Already prevalent in the 1980's, by the late 1990's things were so out of hand that new legislation penalizing the practices was finally introduced, though the 'cult' has still not died out. From the scant page or two the subject merits in Pink Samurai, it is clear that Bornoff's interests lie elsewhere - probably the 'strip' theatres which get far more attention than their minor presence in the fabric of modern Japan would seem to warrant.
This book would benefit from a thorough updating.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but Odd, January 24, 2001

By 

KaguyaHime (Fomalhaut) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pink Samurai: The Pursuit and Politics of Sex in Japan (Paperback)

This book was informative and entertaining with one strange flaw. According to the author, it seems some Japanese base everything on sex, that everyone is having sex everywhere all of the time, and that little sex dolls can be purchased everywhere. Reminded me of a famous anthropologist's scandal where the "locals" decided to have a bit of fun with the researcher. While sex in Japan is looked at in a more realistic sense (People understand that some people have sex, and that it's not abnormal), I couldn't quite agree with the author's notions that, come o-matsuri time, couples are enjoying quick trysts under the o-mikoshi or behind the jinja.True, there are sexual references in many (unexpected to the non-Japanese) places: children's manga that make the nude body seem to be anything from nothing out of the ordinary, to embarrassments to be blushed over. Public fliers and posters do show nude bodies, as do regular prime-time TV shows (this is without HBO and Cinemax).

The fact is, sexuality is seen differently in the different cultures. Using this book to study the wonderful diversity of people on this planet is great; but using this book as a travel guide when going to Japan might gain the wielder a bit of disappointment. This book covers quite a few areas of Japanese social life.

Keep in mind, though, that this book is starting to get a bit out of date. However, it's still fun to read as long as you don't take everything seriously.

4 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Ultimately Disappointing, April 24, 2006

By 

Andrew W "We are limited only by our imaginat... (Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pink Samurai: The Pursuit and Politics of Sex in Japan (Paperback)

It's really very difficult to both rate this text and to explain inside the 'character limit' just where this book excelled and where for the most part it went off-course. One would imagine that for a 698 page book to ultimately end up with only three stars would be pretty hard indeed, but such are the errors that this is a pretty generous mark. Please don't confuse 'Quantity' with 'Quality'.

As an educator, living and working in Japan for the better part of the last decade I guess the easiest way to approach the appraisal of this work, is to view it as though it had been handed in from one of my students, so with that in mind I shall add my comments:

1) What is your point? what are you trying to convey to the reader?
2) How are the personal, family-related narratives related to the overall text? If you wish to introduce a personal thread that's fine, but continue it throughout the work, don't simply pick it up at the beginning and for a few pages at the end.
3) How much of what you say is subjective and how much objective? You need to make it clear to the reader which is which, and where the line is drawn.
4) You need to re-work the chapters, make clearer divisions and re-think the order, it's very incoherent in places, lacks flow and continuity, appears erratic. Has this been edited?
5) Some of your Japanese is incorrectly translated, you need to check the translations you used, or if the common-usage has altered you need to re-issue the book. Without those editions the book reads as though you are lacking in knowledge of the Japanese language and thus weakens your credibility.
6) There is too much focus on ancient 'fertility rites' and not enough on bringing the text up-to-date.
7) There is not enough focus on homosexuality, a few pages at the end seems like an afterthought. Homosexuality is a major part of the Japanese sexual identity and has been throughout history.
8) Over-use of the words 'August' and 'Zenith' are noticeable, please find alternatives.
9) You cannot dismiss the Way of the Samurai as you have done so quickly. On what evidence did you base that they seldom took out their swords?
10) When you use a Japanese word in italics you need to clearly indicate the meaning immediately after in parenthesis. You seem to be using several systems to incorporate Japanese loan-words and this is confusing to the reader with little or no prior knowledge of Japan, Japanese or Japanese culture. Again if you clarify your target audience you can edit this mistake accordingly.

Ultimately not a bad effort, good illustrations and insights at points, though lacking in other areas. Please re-think your title and your point and then edit the text with that goal in mind. Please see me.