Let me preface my post with
IANAH and
IANJ (
I am not a historian and
I am not Japanese)
This is an interesting topic for sure. And speaking of "affection" I have read and confirmed with Japanese friends of mine that lots of married couples don't sleep in the same bed. Heck, my in-laws in Osaka have sepreate beds. At least they are in the same room.
I on the other hand could not imagine not sleeping in the same bed as my wife. Her and I share an intimate bond that no one else shares with us. We share fluids both orally and otheriwse.
She says that she has never known love (both mentally and physically) with anyone else that even comes close to what we share.
To say that kissing is dangerous is silly, and most ancient ideas were silly, thats why science is here to help us out! To teach us that KISSING IS OKAY! :romance: Now, sleeping with different people all the time without protection...that is very dangerous. Kissing your wife? Not dangerous. Heck it is more dangerous to stand at the train station in Japan than it is to kiss the person you love.
So there is little doubt in my mind that in ancient Japan, they didn't kiss. It just wasn't part of their culture. They didn't shake hands, they didn't pat each other on the back. Everything was ordered and controlled. And if order wasn't maintained, you lost your head!
EDIT: Now looking at kaerupop's post. Looks like there may have been kissing back in the Edo period (1867) but that is still pretty recent considering.