Sex and relationships

Chinese researchers have found the coronavirus in the semen of a small number of men, raising the possibility that it could be spread via sex. The study at Shangqiu Municipal Hospital in central China’s Henan province included 38 men who had tested positive for Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and found that 6 had the virus in their semen. These included 2 men who had recovered, “which is particularly noteworthy,” according to the study, reported in JAMA Network Open – an online open-access medical journal published by the American Medical Association. “If it could be proved that Sars-CoV-2 [the coronavirus’s scientific name] can be transmitted sexually … [this] might be a c

The term “corona divorce” is trending on Japanese social media as couples forced to stay home because of the global Covid-19 pandemic air their grievances about the state of their marriages. Twitter, in particular, is serving as a forum for frustrated wives to vent about inconsiderate or demanding husbands. Many messages include hints – veiled or otherwise – that they are at the end of their rope. Reports suggest couples who are being forced together in other parts of the world are facing similar relationship challenges, but the term “corona divorce” resonates particularly in Japan.  In the 1980s, the term “Narita divorce” took hold to describe newlywed couples returning to Tokyo’s Narita A

Japan’s nightlife venues are facing dire times after the country declared a state of emergency over the coronavirus pandemic. That poses a dilemma for the country’s ever-thriving adult entertainment industry: do they stay open and try to maintain clients while risking their health? Or shut entirely and face losses? Unlike the country’s restaurants, which have started offering “bento” takeout lunchboxes as alternatives to drinking and snacking at after-work izakaya bars, adult venues rely on face-to-face contact.  These range from hostess clubs, where stressed salarymen can chat with a young woman for a fee, to pinsaro, or oral sex bars, where clients can rent a 40-minute booth for around $5

In 2019, Inkstone published some 250 issues and about 1,500 stories about China. By our rough estimate, that’s more than 1 million words, or about the length of the whole Harry Potter series.  That’s a lot of news, owing in part to an eventful year. But as unrest in Hong Kong and tensions between the United States and China dominated the headlines for months on end, there were stories that we liked that you might have missed. At the year’s end, we have put together a list of interesting, but lesser-read articles 📝 and videos 📺 that deserve a second chance. 1. ‘Let’s find somewhere private’: Single, retired and looking for love in Beijing 📝 China's widowers and single elderly people are lo

China Aids Walk is the nation’s largest awareness and fundraising event focusing on HIV discrimination. Since 2012, people from a wide range of backgrounds have been invited to take part in the event at China’s Great Wall. The event aims to educate the public about HIV, advocate for equal rights for those infected with the virus and raise funds for communities affected by the disease. The group also organizes walking events in six other Chinese cities, drawing in more than 4,000 participants. Martin Yang, director of China Aids Walk, spoke to us about the goals of the organization.

It's a phenomenon that's becoming more visible because of the internet. In the West, it's called "sugaring." No, we're not talking about an alternative way of removing body hair. Sugaring is used to describe a kind of relationship in which a younger person gets financially compensated to spend time with an older person. The relationship usually involves sexual activity. Here in Asia, a similar set-up is called “compensated dating,” a term that originated in Japan but is now widely used in the Chinese-speaking world. Over the past decade, Hong Kong police have been stepping up efforts to combat compensated dating, which is regarded as a form of illegal sex work. During the latest crackdown o

After International Women’s Day in early March, the talk in China was all about women’s issues. Women are the target of all sorts of campaigns official or commercial: to celebrate or denounce singles, to have more kids, to value daughters. But what about men? Thanks to the lingering effects of the one-child policy and a cultural preference for sons, China is experiencing a bachelor explosion, with some 30 million surplus men, called guanggun or “bare branches.” Yet there’s very little media outcry over this issue. There’s also no official state policy on the matter. Unless China’s single men cause major disruption, they will likely be left to languish with little help Why not? It’s usually s