Lifelike dolls are giving solace to Japanese men who don't want relationships with real women. The dolls cost $6,000 and come with adjustable fingers, removable head, and genitals. The dolls look real and it feels like you are touching human skin, says Hideo Tsuchiya, the managing director of doll manufacturer, Orient Industry.
Around 2,000 of these dolls are sold in Japan each year. Some men even profess to have fallen in love with these dolls. One such man is Masayuki Ozaki who is in love with his doll Mayu. The man takes the doll on dates, dresses her up, and shares his bed with her.
Osaka is married and has a teenage daughter. He says Japanese women are cold-hearted and selfish.
"Whatever problems I have, Mayu is always there waiting for me. I love her to bits and want to be with her forever. I can’t imagine going back to a human being. I want to be buried with her and take her to heaven,” he tells AFP.
Japan is dealing with a declining birth rate and increasing elderly population. The number of men who are opting out of marriage and even sex is increasing. The term ‘herbivore’ is a common one in the culture, and refers to men who do not want to have conventional relationships with women
Hiroyuka Nomura lives with 17 dolls. "I think many men here are disappointed by real women. Dolls are the ideal image of women. They're cute, nice and always smile at you. Real women aren't like that," he tells Al Jazeera.
Doll makers are developing dolls that will be able to talk, laugh, remember your birthday and even simulate an orgasm.
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Picture Credit: The Daily Mail