Male Subcultures in Japan: generating ‘sexual capital’ and class survival in a low fertility society

In Japan, younger male generations who might identify themselves sub-culturally as ‘love market dropouts’, more politically as hikon (non-married), or more unhappily as himote (unpopular), are also theorised as ‘male losers’ and ‘sexual weaklings’ who have become unable to adapt and survive the twinned processes of neoliberalism and female empowerment. Evidence shows that the structural and sexual marginalisation of these men is configured with changes in employment structures, involving movement into the ‘non-regular’ labour force and a ‘working poor’ existence. The current transformation of a heteronormative society based around masculine privilege informs many of the themes of otaku and idol fan subcultures in East Asia and is broadly comparable to twenty-first century gender subcultures in North America and Europe such as the social media manosphere and MGTOW and also increased male participation in queer and non-binary culture.