Japanese teens’ first kiss rate drops amid disinterest in romance, sparking demographic fears

In many cultures, a first kiss is considered a key milestone in a teenager’s journey to adulthood.

However, a recent survey of Japanese high school students found that an astonishing four out of five teen boys have not yet experienced this moment, highlighting a growing disinterest in romance, which experts warn could worsen the country’s demographic crisis.

Eighteen-year-old Takuma believes that Japanese boys hesitate to kiss because of the absence of “skinship,” a practice emphasising emotional closeness. Fourteen-year-old Yoshihisa claims he hasn’t kissed a girl because his peers are “pure” and shy away from romance. Fifteen-year-old Itsuki adds that many boys have become “herbivores,” showing little interest in traditional masculine roles, including romantic relationships.

Those feelings expressed by the teenagers interviewed by This Week in Asia are echoed in a study released on November 3 by the Japan Association for Sex Education revealed that just 22.8 per cent of high school boys, aged between 15 and 18, have had their first kiss, down sharply from 33.9 per cent in the previous study conducted in 2017.

The figure for the 2023 academic year, which concluded in March, was the lowest since the surveys began in 1974.

Japanese girls have also become more chaste, with 27.5 per cent admitting to having a first kiss, down from 41.1 per cent six years ago.