The ‘Beauty’ of Male Circumcision in Japan: Gender, Sexuality and the Male Body in a Medical Practice

Abstract

This article introduces the construct of ‘the beauty of male circumcision’ to analyse male circumcision in Japan. Japanese men are largely circumcised at beauty and aesthetic clinics, neonatal circumcision has never been mandatory and no official records are provided, therefore the manuscript offers an iconographic and textual analysis of the information that Japanese men can access to decide whether they want to be circumcised. The analysis is grounded on four axes: medical knowledge, embodiment, gender and sexuality. Although male circumcision has been largely a preventative method against disease, in Japanese settings the surgery is sold as a means to regain control of the body and enhance self-confidence. The male body is seen as a commodity and male circumcision becomes a placebo that works on the psyche of men grappling with gender and sexual matters.

A Study of Japanese University Students Influenced by the Covid-19 Pandemic and their Awareness with Their One’s Own Face

“…The sense of beauty is also growing among males and cosmetic surgery is no longer limited to females (Kawano et al, 2021). Thus, appearance is becoming an important component of masculinity for males (Castro-V, 2012;Saladin, 2015) and issues related to aesthetics and appearance are highly relevant to both genders, despite differences in awareness. In particular, male may become increasingly concerned about facial wrinkles and expressions and compare their appearance with that of others, especially since many business people will be using web conferencing tools when they begin working, even if they are currently university students.…”

“I Feel Like More of a Man”: A Mixed Methods Study of Masculinity, Sexual Performance, and Circumcision for HIV Prevention

“…A systematic review of rigorous clinical studies and a separate meta-analysis indicated no significant differences in time to ejaculation, premature ejaculation, or sexual desire between circumcised men and uncircumcised men (Morris & Krieger, 2013; Tian et al, 2013). There is significant social meaning attached to the penis and its performance during sex (Castro-Vázquez, 2013a; Reeser, 2010; Richters, 2006) and thus men's sexual performance following VMMC is more complex than the simple removal of one's foreskin. How men experience VMMC is shaped by social factors such as norms of masculinity that establish the penis as the embodiment of masculinity and define sexual performance expectations for men (Connell, 1995; Richters, 2006).…”

A Study of Japanese University Students' Perceptions of Their Appearance and Their Tendency to Wear Masks During School During the COVID-19

“…This is not because there is strong peer pressure among male students, but rather because their relationship with their surroundings is directly related to their reasons for wearing a mask due to their daily makeup habits and lack of interest in beauty. It is known that nowadays Japanese males also tend to wear makeup and become more conscious of beauty [29,30,31], it has been clarified that male students prioritize tuning with their surroundings over their own physical appearance, including their attractiveness or lack thereof.…”