[Christiane Amanpour] Tokyo.
Most know it's a place where men's desires are fully catered to
and well documented.
I want to know more about how the women here live and love.
Ladies, let's talk about sex.
- Yeah. - [all laughing]
[Amanpour] Many are choosing to remain single, and the birth rate is falling.
- [Momo] Twing, twing. - [laughing]
In a city of contradictions, where do the women find their satisfaction?
I'm really curious to understand what makes Tokyo tick,
but something tells me this city doesn't give up its secrets easily.
[theme music playing]
[speaking Japanese] Thank you for waiting. It's just about to start now.
It feels good. I don't want anyone to touch me but you.
Promise me, please touch me a lot.
[makes moaning sounds]
Yura!
[imitates grunting]
[Amanpour] Japan has a legendary love of modern day graphic material
that smacks of a strong, sexual appetite.
[moaning]
[speaking Japanese] Coming!
[Amanpour] And hopefully, plenty of satisfaction.
Personally, I don't know much about manga comics,
cosplay, anime, or any of the other things I'm told are big in Tokyo.
So, I've reached out to someone who can give me
a crash course in popular culture.
-[Amanpour] You're a university professor. -[Kukhee] Yes.
[Amanpour] Do you teach about sex? Do you teach about culture?
Well, I teach Japanese popular culture a lot in my classes.
I teach on anime, I teach on manga.
[Amanpour] Professor Kukhee Choo teaches cultural studies
at Sophia University in Tokyo.
Before I dip into modern day Tokyo's sexual tendencies,
I want to go back.
Okay, so we have to stand back for this.
[Amanpour] Way back to the 17th century, an erotic art known as Shunga.
[Amanpour] We almost need a drum roll.
[Amanpour] These works are still somewhat taboo and they are rarely exhibited.
-[Kukhee] This is a very extravagant scroll... -[Amanpour] Wow.
- ...from 1675. - That is truly beautiful.
[Amanpour] But Kukhee has managed to get us a private look
at the pieces in Tokyo's Sumisho Gallery.
Crikey, look at that.
[both laughing]
This was a common gift for daughters for the Samurai class
on their wedding night.
-To show them... -So, to show them... So, it's a sex educational manual.
Really? So, let's go through the story.
-Yes. [laughing] -They're lying together on their wedding night.
- Oh, she's kinda looking bored. - [laughing]
She's reading. And he's, like, "okay."
And would it be on public display?
[Kukhee] Shunga was a very popular culture in Japan,
and people of various classes would go and purchase it for entertainment purposes.
-It was humorous, it induced giggles. -Mmm-hmm.
So, you can see how a couple could look at it together, while enjoying.
Could I just say that this looks really painful?
I mean, do Japanese men look like that?
[speaks Japanese]
-He's not aware of the men's anatomy... -Right.
- ...during this period. - [laughs] During this period.
[Hideo speaks Japanese]
Ah, so there are two males.
And he's doing it to himself.
So... No, she's grabbing his...
Oh, my God. I'm so useless. I can't find whose hands are what.
And excuse me. What's happening here?
-[Kukhee] These are Buddhist nuns. -What?
[Kukhee] Because they could not have heterosexual relationships,
they're masturbating or pleasing themselves.
- Dildos? - Dildo, that's a foot dildo.
- Okay, that's interesting. - [Kukhee laughs]
-I mean, it's like... with a sling. -[laughter]
I'm quite shocked. It's seriously explicit.
I mean, all these positions...
Do you think people actually did that at home?
[Kukhee chuckles] They probably did.
According to historians, the Edo period,
from the 17th century to the 19th century, was known for its sexual liberation.
And then what happened?
In the mid-19th century, Japan opened its market
and its country to the Western world.
The new era was called Meiji Period,
and they actually banned this culture,
deeming it inappropriate according to Western standards.
- Hmm. - And let's not forget,
the mid-19th century was the Victorian era.
Right. And they thought, maybe...
Yeah, the Americans, or the Brits, or whatever would come here and get shocked.
And they were indeed shocked. [laughs]
[Kukhee] So, this suddenly disappeared.
If you actually had these shungas,
they would be confiscated by the government.
-[Amanpour] She looks quite happy, this one. -That's his wife.
Even if she weren't, she had to fake it.
[both laughing]
What were marriages like in that era?
During the Edo period, men could have multiple wives, uh, many mistresses.
And how did the wives take that?
They were taught jealousy was not a good virtue.
-So they had to bite the bullet? -Yes.
- As usual. - As usual.
There was more sexual liberation,
so I would assume that, probably, people were a little happier back then.
- Women or men? - Both.
-So, the wives could do this stuff, too? -Probably, secretly.
Really? So, who do we have here, then?
[Kukhee] Just a regular lady, probably she's buying some kind of hair ornament
from this merchant, who came to visit her.
So, is this the milkman coming and having an affair with the housewife?
[speaking Japanese]
- Exactly. - Exactly!
[laughter]
[Amanpour] God only knows what that weird sexual torture device is.
What is that?
- Shoes. Wooden heels. - [Amanpour laughs]
I got that one wrong.
[Yuka speaking Japanese] In public, my husband and I
don't do much kissing,
holding hands, or putting an arm around a shoulder.
Almost never happens.
On very rare occasions, we hold hands.
But I don't like holding hands very much.
I kiss my husband only when we have sex.
"Do I like it?"
Um... [chuckles]
Not very much. In fact, I may not be very good at it.
[Amanpour] On Love Hotel Hill, intimacy is a business,
where amorous couples seek respite
from the stresses and loneliness of life.
Rooms can be paid for by the hour.
And so can lovers.
[speaking Japanese] My occupation is "Fuzoku-jyo," a hotel health worker.
[speaking Japanese]
[Yuka continues] I see about four customers per day.
Once a call comes...
[man speaking Japanese]
[Yuka continues] I go to the designated hotels.
Many things motivated me to start this job...
As my husband is a strong, jealous type,
I thought, maybe this job could relieve stress
by enjoying other men.
The shop set up a fabricated company for an alibi.
My husband thinks I work as OL, office lady.
[people laughing]
[Yuka continues] My regulars are working in corporate jobs,
married but sexless.
They don't get sexual intimacy at home...
[men speaking Japanese]
so they probably come to me
to release sexual tension, from time to time.
Since I'm a married woman myself...
married customers request me.
I think, they look for the similar elements
as their wives.
[Yuka continues] Someone they can talk to.
With a married woman...
who understands the situation...
a secret can be shared.
For those who claim
they fall in love with me...
I would pretend
to be in love with them...
so they would come to see me more.
[Kaoro in English] I've never heard my father say, "I love you," to my mother.
I think it'd be really weird for me to hear that in Japanese.
It sounds really, really corny.
Yeah, that's the thing, just linguistically, it's...
It just sounds corny.
[in Japanese] We don't even say "I love you" in the text.
I think so.
[in English] Oh, yeah, in English, we always say...
Yeah, we say those sorts of things.
[Kaoro in English] I love you is "Ai shiteru yo" in Japanese.
But it means more if you say "arigato," which means thank you.
So, I think a lot of Japanese people
say thank you instead of I love you.
[in Japanese] I don't use "I love you."
I use "I like you" and "I like you so much."
[Maya in English] In the public, we don't say much.
[Jesse] We don't hold hands.
[Okama in Japanese] At first, I didn't really kiss.
We kiss when he go work, you know.
When?
When you leave.
Oh, she just... But that's not kissing, though.
-Oh, yeah, not really... -Nobody wants to kiss me. [laughs]
No!
[Jesse] Yeah, once in a while we do. [Maya] But not in the public.
[Maya] That would be the big rumor, "Maya-san is kissing her husband."
It's that kind of situation, you know, rumors can kill you.
[in Japanese] Shining!
Yeah!
Ready!
Set, go!
Cheers!
Chug it!
Everybody chug it!
- Chug it! - Chug it!
Here we go!
At last!
In the end!
Awesome!
Prince!
A comment!
Let's!
Ask!
Thank you for today.
[Amanpour in English] It's a Japanese tradition that goes back centuries,
and it's an accepted way of life
that men can be pampered and pleasured by any number of services for a price.
The modern salaryman can choose everything
from traditional geishas to women dressed as schoolgirls and hostess bars,
guaranteeing very attentive company.
My eyes, beautiful!
But where does the modern salarywoman go to get her boxes ticked?
[people talking indistinctly]
In the post-bubble economy, they work hard and play hard,
but may have little time or inclination for relationships.
Now there are host clubs to cater to female customers
who may be searching for the boyfriend experience.
[Amanpour] This is a pretty amazing place.
Just explain to us where we are.
We are at host club "I." Uh, it means love.
[Amanpour] As ever, Professor Kukhee Choo is my wing woman.
Is that what people come here for?
Some people might, but people are aware
that they're buying that two hours of affection.
[all speaking Japanese]
[Amanpour] And attention. [Kukhee] Attention.
[Kukhee] I think that this occupies a particular space in Japan,
where women can come and de-stress or show their true feelings,
or they can act like they're the Queen of the day, and it makes them feel good.
[Icci] Hello. [Amanpour] Hello.
[in Japanese] Excuse me, welcome.
[in English] Hi! What's your name?
What's your name? Icci.
- Icci. - Icci.
So, what are you gonna do for us?
[in Japanese] Well, this is a Japanese host club
that provides private hospitality.
Let me see some hospitality.
[in Japanese] Okay, what would you like to drink?
Shoju, on the rocks, with ice.
- Okay. - Thank you, Icci.
Okay, so is there a hierarchy? Is there a rank?
[in Japanese] Yes, it depends on the sales of that month.
It does not depend on how many customers the host gets.
Even if a host has only one customer,
but that customer spends ten million yen
and the other hosts didn't make those same sales,
that host would be number one for the next month.
[Kukhee in English] Some people might have one customer,
but if that one customer spends a hundred thousand US dollars. Yes.
A hundred thousand US dollars?
A month. So, it'd be ten, um... Ten million yen a month.
Are you serious?
And then that host would actually be the number one that month.
Have you been number one?
[in Japanese] Yes, I have.
What do women want when they come here?
[Icci in Japanese] They come here to experience something
they can't in their ordinary life.
They talk about things
they can't talk to their husband, boyfriend, or friends about.
- Like what? - Oh.
[in Japanese] Complaining about their husbands.
[Kukhee in English] Uh, complaints about their husbands.
[in Japanese] Yes, also about their boyfriends.
-[Amanpour laughing] -[Kukhee in English] Complaints about their boyfriends.
[in Japanese] Talking about being sexless.
-Oh. -[Kukhee in English] Talking about being sexless.
- Sexless? Really? - Yes.
[in Japanese] Well, it's easy for Japanese to become sexless compared to foreigners.
It's extremely lacking in "body touch."
[Kukhee in English] Oh, because there's not that much skinship here.
Skinship? Skinship?
-What they call skinship is like a... -What is that?
They call it skinship. Body touch.
Bodytouch. Affection.
Like this. They don't do this with others.
Ah.
I grab their waist and pull them closer to me.
And then they grab their... By their waist and pull them closer to...
Right.
And I do a "princess lift."
Oh, and they lift them up like they're a... They're called a "princess lift."
- Really? - Yes.
And then where does that lead?
- Taxi, bye-bye. - [laughter]
So, they come sexless and they leave sexless.
[in Japanese] Some of them come for sex.
But, if they have sex,
they might be satisfied and won't come back.
[Kukhee] Hmm.
[Amanpour] So it's true what I heard,
that Japanese don't really kiss or hug?
Did you have physical contact with your parents?
[in Japanese] No, I did not.
- Oh, no. - No.
[in Japanese] I remember my father and mother
carried me piggyback, since I was a little spoiled.
But we didn't hug or kiss.
How does the lack of intimacy affect you?
[in Japanese] It was embarrassing to be with women.
Really?
[in Japanese] Well, when I was younger.
If you had hugs and kisses
from your mother when you were a child,
you'd be more expressive as an adult.
So, this is good for you, as well, not just for the women, right?
[in Japanese] I do body touch.
And yourself?
- I get healed, too. - You get healed, too, yes.
-So, that's why he likes this work. -Aw.
[Sawako in Japanese] I like a man
who is independent, mentally and financially.
And somebody who is well-informed about something. I like a geek.
My boyfriend at that time only occasionally became erect in the morning.
He asked me to get on top of him, there was no foreplay,
I put on lube and got on top of him,
then he picked up his cell phone and started watching a porno.
I didn't feel good, so I got off and I gave a hand job.
He kept watching the porno.
And he was satisfied, and that was it.
I tried to entice him wearing sexy lingerie and perfume with pheromones,
but he would just say, "What are you doing?"
or "You are weird."
And so, we became sexless,
and I lost confidence as a woman.
[Amanpour] Sexless marriages
seem to be an accepted reality here.
But what about single women in Japan?
Is the grass any greener for them?
I'm heading into the city's gay district,
where they have a concentration of microbars...
[inaudible conversation]
and those differentiate even further,
by the particular itch they try to scratch.
Momo isn't gay, but in a place where female sexuality is often hidden,
her favorite spot serves both drinks and a purpose.
Momo, you don't come here to find love or sex?
[Momo] Not here. It's a gay bar, though.
[Amanpour] Right. [Momo] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[Amanpour] Are you gay?
-Oh, I'm straight. -So, why are you coming in here?
Uh...
- [Momo squeals] - [all laughing]
- Twing. - Twing.
[laughter]
-[man] That's special. -[Momo] Special, yeah. Twing, twing.
[laughter]
Sense of humor is a must.
I love it.
When I go to, like, a normal bar, it's like, um...
conversation is not... not sitimulated.
-[Amanpour] It's not stimulating? -No.
Gay person, they know about for men side, women side...
Love advice is best.
And the conversation is professional, and it's, like, sexually open.
I'm sexually open, so that's why I want to talk.
So, do you give her advice sometimes?
Yeah, sometimes.
- What do you discuss? - Blowjob.
Oh, really? Oh? Okay, okay...
I guess this is a good place to learn that.
Sorry, it's too much for you, maybe? [laughing]
No, no. Not at all.
When I was young, I opened up the door
and I saw my parents' sex, unfortunately.
- You did? - Yeah.
I was five years old. I didn't know what sex is, but I imitate it.
I start for masturbating stuff.
- Uh-huh. - [both laughing]
So, you mean, from spying on your mom...
Stumbling in on your parents, to masturbating...
- Yeah. - To being in a gay club.
No. No, no.
So, what is it like being a girl here in Japan? What pressures are you under?
Most Asian mom is like, "Do this. Do like that."
-Tiger mom. -Yeah, my mom always wanted me to find a person who has money.
I mean, a rich person to get married.
- You didn't want to do that? - No.
So, what did they let you do and not let you do?
Well, like, no dating, so I was always curious
and curious and curious about dating.
Just one time I try and lost virginity.
- So, how old were you? - Sixteen.
- And was that young? - That time is like common.
And did you love this person?
Not really. I just wanted to have an experience.
Was it a good experience?
-[groans] Well, I walk like a penguin. -[both laugh]
That was hard.
- And then, my mom found out... - And so, were you punished?
Yeah, she punished me a lot.
-So, you were very repressed at home. -I know.
-Yeah, that influenced me to, like, not be myself. -Mmm-hmm.
I cannot love myself and I cannot, like, be taking care of myself.
And then I was, like, lonely, and I try to find one night stand,
I think I did a lot.
- Lots of one night stands? - Yeah.
- To find some freedom. - Yeah.
How about emotional happiness when it comes to, I don't know, being with a partner,
finding the right partner?
I would love to have my own happy family.
If I find the right person, I will not go to, like, having sex
with so many people, and I think I will settle down.
Well, you clearly know everything you need to know.
If I find something, like, interesting, I jump on.
- Yeah. - I become Pegasus.
You were a penguin once,
- but now, you're a Pegasus. - Yeah, I used to be a penguin.
All right. On that note, Momo.
- Cheers again. - I can't take anymore of this.
[Momo laughs]
[Amanpour] In a place with fairly obvious intimacy issues,
it isn't surprising that many turn to other outlets
for stimulation, entertainment, and even comfort.
[Kukhee] This place called Ikebukuro is known
for the female consumers of Manga, Anime and game culture.
[Amanpour] The Otome Road or Maiden Road is a nickname for this area,
which caters to female manga fans.
Manga means comic book.
Yes, so Tezuka Osamu is the godfather of manga and anime in Japan,
but the girl's genre branches out from that during the late '60s and '70s.
[Amanpour] Manga is Professor Kukhee Choo's area of expertise.
It's a major part of everyday life here in Japan.
The main genre which is read by women and girls is called "shojo."
It features romances where female characters play stereotypical roles.
The dominant genre that the female consumers consume in this area is
what they call "Boy's Love" genre.
Okay, what is it?
A genre that actually features boys in a homoerotic relationship.
And is that what they're looking at here?
They are. As you can see, all the characters in this title
are all beautiful boys.
- Those are boys? - Those are all boys.
-With the long hair? -That's what they call the "pretty boys."
It's not gay, it's for heterosexual women.
Yes, predominantly for heterosexual women.
[Amanpour] Boy's Love or yaoi is a further sub-genre of manga,
which some see as a rebellion
against the unattainable boy meets girl romance of the more mainstream offerings.
So, what is fujoshi?
Fujoshi means "rotten girl." Literally. It started out as probably a derogatory term.
But the female consumers, the girls and the women,
re-claimed that, and it's empowering for them now.
[Amanpour] And they're the ones who consume this?
[Kukhee] In this area, in this Ikebukuro area...
So, we are full of fujoshi here?
We are full of fujoshi, yes.
[Sato speaking Japanese] Hijirin, she really likes the happy story.
They meet, fall in love and are happy.
I like the story where they break up, but still like each other,
then they get back together.
Because I'm a woman, I admire the friendships between men.
That led me to liking BL, Boy's Love.
[Hijirin in Japanese] I guess I also want to read about what I don't have.
Men's friendships. It's kind of a secret garden.
We are into it because it shows us the forbidden.
Boys' Love is not the reason I don't have boyfriend right now.
Right now, I'm not looking for anybody,
I guess that I give priority to my job?
Yeah, I'm busy at work.
[Sato] Boys' Love is our relaxation, isn't it?
[Hijirin] Yes, yes.
[Sato] Isn't it true?
-[Hijirin] Right. -[Sato] We have a lot of stress.
[Hijirin] I'm tired of being in love with somebody.
I'm tired of looking for somebody.
Yes, falling in love needs lot of energy,
and we don't have the energy now.
Do you ever talk to the women about what gives them gratification,
whether it's emotional, whether it's physical?
It seems like there is a lot of insecurity
associated with this form of consumption.
A lot of the people don't feel confident as a heterosexual being.
But, the fujoshi seem to feel insecure when it comes to dating the other male.
And that's why they're really consuming boys having sex,
because they don't want to project themselves into that body.
So, it makes them feel better.
I think it's very difficult for Japanese men, as well.
A statistic came out a year ago,
that showed about 40% of the male population of Japan are virgins.
-It's like a certain age group... -What?
They were saying that, yes, 40% of the Japanese male population are virgins.
It's almost like a vicious cycle.
[Kengo in Japanese] Everybody has a name.
This is Natasha.
She is Kyoko.
She is Catherine, and...
Kyoko is like a dominatrix.
Natasha is my favorite.
I started by being into manga and anime,
and then figurines of manga characters.
And then my interest went bigger.
I heard about a love doll made out of silicone.
I bought a used one on a Yahoo! auction.
I do feel love for Natasha. It's just a one-way love, though.
It's just one-way love, though.
[laughs]
I don't tell her, "I love you,"
but I kiss her.
The doll is a doll.
I don't have a girlfriend now,
but I want one.
They are completely different things.
A new girlfriend will have to accept them.
[Kukhee in English] As a media scholar,
I'm wondering if the heavy consumption
of all these other forms of entertainment
are taking away time from actual human connection.
So, online culture, robots?
Gaming. Yes. And if you're playing games all the time,
if you're reading comic books,
and with the development of all this robotic technology that are producing sex dolls,
-I think there is a lot of anxiety... -[Amanpour] Wow.
[Kukhee] ...associated with Japanese masculinity.
And when you, as an academic, think about
where this is going to lead this country socially, economically, culturally...
That is the million-dollar question. Yes.
[in English] We don't kiss in the public.
And we don't break the fuinki, we don't do it.
Fuinki is the atmosphere, you know, the kind of feeling.
Japanese... Quiet is good.
She would always yell at me, "You're breaking the fuinki."
I would say, "God, what's the fuinki?"
Just like in the elevator. It's like international.
Yeah, they're always, like...
-He always talk... -On the elevator, or something in their minds...
- Very cheerful. Too much. - [laughing]
Too cheerful?
Just be quiet.
[Maya] We've been married for 21 years.
You can't tell, but she is the boss.
Well, yeah. That's how we are.
[Amanpour] Women are no longer willing
to take the place that society has imposed on them.
They don't all want to be the perfect daughter
who grows up to be the perfect housewife,
and a massive shift is underway.
Oh, good, we're going to get some drinks now, we can loosen up a little bit.
- [woman] Yeah. - [all laugh]
[Amanpour] I've come to meet a group of friends at their regular hangout,
where they gather to dish on their lives and their loves.
Ladies, let's talk about sex.
How Is sex?
[in Japanese] I like it.
Do you think men here and the people who you're dating,
and your husband, and your partners,
do they care about your happiness?
About your emotional and your physical satisfaction?
Mmm.
[in Japanese] Probably, maybe.
[in Japanese] No, no way.
No?
[in Japanese] Sometimes they care,
but most men care about themselves in the end.
You know, we've been talking to a lot of people.
We've heard about a lot of this sexless thing.
Like, this is a sexless culture. Is it?
[in Japanese] Most of my married friends tell me they are sexless.
[in Japanese] Yes, I heard that, too.
What'd she say?
[in English] When they're married,
there's a lot of sexless, but if not, maybe not.
So, is it better not to be married?
[in Japanese] I guess long-term relationships make them sexless.
So, like everywhere, everything is great at the beginning
- and then it changes. - Yeah, yeah. Yes, yes, yes.
-And what about you? How's sex in your marriage? -[laughter]
[in Japanese] What about her?
[in English] How about you?
Touche, touche.
Does your husband make you happy? Does he care about how you feel?
Yes, yes.
And do you still have sex even though you've got two kids?
- No. - You don't?
- [woman] Not with her... - Yes.
What?
Why not?
[in Japanese] Wow, that means she has sex with...
Who do you have sex with, then?
[in Japanese] The Japanese don't talk much about that.
Not even with our spouse.
This is Japanese tradition. We don't talk about much, I think.
[in Japanese] We respect each other without sex.
And I sleep with the kids.
I understand that that is traditional in Japan.
Mother often sleeps with the children and the husband sleeps alone.
But sex is not just sex, it's about intimacy.
It's about hugging, physical love as well as intellectual love.
[in Japanese] We don't even do that, we don't even hug.
-She doesn't even hug him. -[Amanpour] You don't even hug.
So, do you feel lonely?
- Lonely. Yes, lonely. - You do. You feel lonely.
Do you ever tell him that you're not happy?
[in Japanese] I've never talked about it.
They've never talked about it.
[in Japanese] He would pretend not to hear or just wouldn't answer.
[in English] He probably won't say anything.
He will probably think he didn't hear anything.
[in Japanese] He would say, "What happened?"
- What's his name? - Takeo.
So, tonight, you say, Takeo, it's time for us to have some intimacy.
What would he say?
[in Japanese] Well, I don't think I want that.
Oh, you don't want to.
[in Japanese] No, I don't want to.
Oh, why?
[in Japanese] It's already... It's too...
It's been too long, for a long time.
[in English] It's been too long.
How long has it been?
[in Japanese] More than ten years.
- More than ten years. - What?
[laughter]
So, do you think you have a good marriage?
[in Japanese] We have good relationship even without the sex,
so I don't want to break it.
How many times have you said, "I love you," in your life?
[in Japanese] So many times.
- [in English] A lot. - Oh, you have? To who?
- My husband... - You have?
- ...and my boyfriend. - Oh!
You have a boyfriend now?
Oh!
[in Japanese] This is our secret.
It's a secret? It's a secret on television.
No.
Does your husband know?
No, no.
No? What would he do if he found out?
Divorce?
No, no.
No? Why?
[in Japanese] I have kids.
So you're happy now?
Yes, yes.
Do you think Japanese society is changing for women?
[in Japanese] Yes, I think things will change.
Women of this generation know about cultures of other countries.
Husband and wife make room for the kids,
but maintain a real couple's relationship.
We see they go out on dates and things like that.
So, I think it will change.
Do you think you can break the system?
What do you want for your life?
[in Japanese] Be myself, enjoy.
I want to be a married couple
who can do that every day.
And have sex? Often?
[woman translating]
- Yeah, yeah. - [Amanpour] Yeah?
There's hope.
[Chris] When your dad comes home from work,
-do you think he kisses your mom? -[Kaoru] He does.
[Chris] Okay. But he's Japanese, but not in certain respects.
- He's quite romantic. - Yeah.
Um, not like, french kissing,
but I've seen my parents, you know, peck.
But I don't think he'd do that in front of the grand public.
[Amanpour] There are rules for everything here.
Rules that keep people in their own lanes,
on a path to respectability, to satisfying society.
Looking for happiness is a major no-no.
[Kiyo] Whoa!
Whoa!
[Amanpour] Kimi and her husband Kiyo have helped themselves,
and they're now trying to help other couples break out of that social straitjacket.
So, I see you doing this business.
[Kimi and Kiyo laughing]
-Usually, hold it like this. You relax your hands... -Okay, relax your hands...
This way, and then waggle a little.
-Waggle a little. It's really like Jell-O. -Yeah.
- Are we ready? - [Kimi] Go for it.
- [Kiyo] Oh! - [Kimi laughs] Oh, good shot!
- I got it! [laughs] - Yay! Cool. Yeah, very good.
You look very good.
I honestly never bloody well hit the ball before.
- I mean, I've tried, but... - [Kimi laughing]
[Amanpour] So, how often do you come to the range?
[Kimi] Probably every two weeks.
[Amanpour] Is it common for a Japanese couple to have that shared hobby?
It's getting that way, I would say.
In the past, it's mostly, like, men playing for the corporate entertainment,
wives stay at home.
But my husband doesn't do that. I mean, like, often times, it's just us.
But it's second time lucky for your husband, right?
He didn't have a huge amount of success with his first wife.
- Yeah. - Not enough golf.
He straightened up his priorities.
Kiyo, your wife says that you've straightened up.
You've basically got your priorities right when you married her.
What did you do wrong in your first marriage?
[in Japanese] I used to believe that it's more valuable
to work a long time than to come home early.
[in English] Sometimes Japanese men don't come back
until, like, ten o'clock in the evening,
but he comes back to, you know, share dinner table with me.
Do you actually tell each other you love each other?
Yeah, we do.
That's quite rare, though, right?
Yeah, Japanese couples, especially after getting married,
are not so outspoken about how they feel emotionally.
Even if they're in a romantic relationship, even if they're married?
It seems like people go through stages of their intimacy
becoming Mom and Dad,
rather than husband and wife, and a lot of people are really looking to change that.
And I think that our activities,
in a playful way, is helping them achieve that.
The Adoring Husband organization?
Yeah. Every year, we have this special event
for men to shout "I love you" to their wives.
[man] Megumi!
[in Japanese] I'm sorry for always staying out late, drinking!
Let's hug each other a lot tonight.
Thank you!
[speaking Japanese]
Yukari!
Thanks for taking care of the house and kids since we married.
[in Japanese] Tai-chan! I love you!
[in English] Happiness!
Mieko!
[in Japanese] I love you!
[Amanpour] You actually created a society out of nothing.
Yeah. We were really outspoken and then we were, like, holding hands
when we were walking together,
and we do a lot of things together.
So, people thought, like, that was something new,
so they started to ask Kiyo, "You look like a adoring husband
and you look very happy together."
-[Amanpour] Men were saying it to him? -[Kimi] Yeah.
We thought it would be fun to have some playful event for men to be okay,
to express their love in public, and it took off.
- So, that gives hope. - Yeah, I think so.
I'm going to ask Kiyo.
How do you feel about shouting, "I love you?"
[in Japanese] Oh, I feel really good.
[in English] Yeah, he feels good.
[in Japanese] It feels very light and refreshing after I say it.
[Kimi] Yeah.
-Will you ask him to shout love here? -[Kimi laughs]
[Kimi speaking Japanese]
There are so many people here.
You might get a load of new recruits!
In golf ranges, you're supposed to be quiet.
Maybe in the parking lot?
[speaking Japanese]
Ah. Ah, okay.
[in Japanese] Well, if you really need to shoot the scene, I will do it.
[in English] He will do it.
Yeah? He'll do it?
[speaking Japanese]
-This is a public display of affection. -Yeah.
The first we've seen in Japan.
[Kimi laughs] Yeah.
[Amanpour] Aw. There you go.
[in Japanese] After I met Mika, I do kiss.
I can now kiss, kind of, freely.
[translator in Japanese] Something like, you kiss her because you love her?
Something like that.
[in English] We're not an overtly "I love you" couple.
- Hmm. - Really.
[translator in Japanese] Can you kiss in front of the camera?
[in English] I would like to say "I love you" more.
[translator in Japanese] What about on the cheek?
Oh, on my cheek, then.
Your cheek?
[both laughing]
Okay.
- [in English] Okay. - Okay.
- Okay.
[in Japanese] I love you!
- That is amazing! - [Kimi laughs]
Ah, that is amazing.