What do you think is the reason for the Japanese economy??

[GaijinPunch]

What I said was that about 50% of the mags contained porn (or erotic pictures).

Okay, I see. In all honesty, I didn't read too many magazines in Japan. I really don't know your definition of erotic pitures either... nudity? 50%?ﾂ I still think that's extremely high if you're counting all the magazines, although some skin does seem to be rather prevelant. My favorite is the nude shot in the sports pages. :\

 

[Maciamo]

Okay, I see. In all honesty, I didn't read too many magazines in Japan. I really don't know your definition of erotic pitures either... nudity?

Yes, nudity, but not the one for shampoo ads, the one made just to arouse.

50%?ﾂ I still think that's extremely high if you're counting all the magazines, although some skin does seem to be rather prevelant.

I counted only the magazines in combini. If that is all the magazines published in Japan (incl. some hard to find even in big bookshops) then those containing erotic pictures drop to under 5%. There are just so many food and travel magazines, almost none of which are sold in combini !

 

[pipokun]

Yes, nudity, but not the one for shampoo ads, the one made just to arouse.



I counted only the magazines in combini. If that is all the magazines published in Japan (incl. some hard to find even in big bookshops) then those containing erotic pictures drop to under 5%. There are just so many food and travel magazines, almost none of which are sold in combini !

Just curious what J magazines your partner and you usually read.
Bungeishunju this month covers interesting stories like a debate, Yoshiko Sakurai V. Yukari Sato & Satsuki Katayama known as Koizumi's sisters, WWII or Asahi news paper.

 

[Maciamo]

Here is a picture I took today in a 7 Eleven in Tokyo. We can't see the whole shelves, but about all the magazines and manga in this picture (about half the length of the shelves) are just porn and erotic stuff from top to bottom.

 

[kkkktttt]

日本で販売されている各種雑誌の発行部数についてはこちらのサイトで参照できます。
Wayback Machine

コンビニで雑誌を購入するメインの消費者層は20～30歳代の独身男女ですから、限られた販売スペースを効率的に活用する場合、販売されている雑誌の約半数にerotic picturesが掲載されていても不思議ではないですね。
東京にお住まいでしたら八重洲のブックセンター一階の雑誌販売コーナーに行ってみるといいでしょう。日本で販売されている大半の雑誌が並べられていますから、より一般的な観察が出来ますよ。

 

[kokusu]

Forget those massive 'old family' "Keidanran/Amukudari" businesses like Mitsubishi (now Shitzubishishi great cars!!!) Sumitomo, Snow Brand Whatever....
In Japan the sex industry in THE biggest money-spinner in J-land how else can all those sex-workers afford those Louis Vuitton bags????

What do you think?

I'm not sure entirely what the original question is about, but I am guessing that celtician is making a statement about what possibly fuels the Japanese economy . . . where the Japanese economy is most productive. Since I didn't know the answer off the top of my head, I did some quick research.


Japan at a Glance - Updated (Kodansha International, Ltd., 2001) reports from the Cabinet Office that of people employed in Japan:
-63.1% are employed in wholesale, retail, energy, transportation, finance, insurance, service, and public service
-31.1% are employed in mining, construction, and manufacturing
-5.2% are employed in agriculture, forestry, and fishery
-0.6% are employed in other
Well, this doesn't give a "sex industry" section . . . but I imagine a percentage of 'other' and perhaps 'service' could apply, though figuring out the impact on the Japanese economy from this scant data is 無理 - impossible!

Talking About Japan Q & A (Kodansha International, Ltd., 1996) seems to imply that Japan's wealth derives from international trade (a table of which did not mention sex-trade, btw . . . see pp. 113-127).

Japan's Managed Globalization: Adapting to the Twenty-First Century (M.E. Sharpe, Inc., 2003) goes on further to say that Japan continues to work at supporting its economy through active manipulation of global economics and trade through various practices of protectionism and industrial promotion. Again, trade seems to be the strength behind Japan's economy, and this book does much to explain why this is so. To sum up, however, it is industry, not the sex trade, that is the bulwark of the Japanese economy (at least, according to the authors).

W.G. Beasley's The Rise of Modern Japan (1995) also makes note of the boom of technology in Japan while also reinforcing the importance of industry and trade (pp. 243-261).

Well, please, forgive that I didn't have a more succinct reply. I did want to check several sources however to get a consensus of information. I wish I had had time to find more specific numbers to report. I am certain that I have them somewhere either in my library or in my study notes . . . if anyone really desires, I can certainly try and find those statistics.

However, even without those stats, I can confidently say that academic and lay texts agree that Japan's economy is what it is from things such as steel, automobiles, and the microprocessor. This is not to say that the "sex industry" isn't worth a fortune in-and-of-itself!!! Sex IS big money! But, I can't help but think how many magazines sold it would take to equal the value of a new automobile, or a shipment of steel, or a new computer . . . So, to me, it makes sense that industry (including technology) and trade are the true sources of Japanese economic strength thus far.

Sorry for the long post . . .