Around one-third of married Japanese couples have not had sex for at least a month, a study said on Tuesday, urging the Japanese to overcome a sexual shyness to prevent the population from a dangerous decline.
Thirty-two per cent of married couples - 28 per cent of men and 34 per cent of women - had not had sexual intercourse for more than a month, the definition of "sexless" under the survey.
Furthermore, 19 per cent of married couples had not had sex for a full year, said the survey by the Japan Family Planning Association and the Health Ministry which questioned 3,000 people aged 16 to 49.
The study said timidity was a major factor, citing the reluctance in Japan to talk about sex openly, despite a culture awash with outward displays of sex such as pornography.
Forty-four percent of sexless couples - and also 31 per cent of people with an active sex life - said they found sexual relationships "tiresome," the study found.
Japan has one of the world's lowest birth rates with many young people choosing to stay single indefinitely.
{{/usCountry}}Japan has one of the world's lowest birth rates with many young people choosing to stay single indefinitely.
{{/usCountry}}Japan's population will decline to 109 million people in 2050 from 127 million in 2004, according to United Nations projections, presenting a future crisis with a smaller working population supporting a mass of pensioners.
"Unless Japanese people get more active in having children, the birthrate is unlikely to rise," Kunio Kitamura, director of the association which carried out the survey, said.
The poll also found that only 31 per cent of sexless couples had discussions about contraception with their partners compared with 45 percent of sexually active couples.