The fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1868 ushered in the age of Imperial Japan in what is known as the Meiji Restoration. For almost 80 years, the Japanese Empire would change the life of many within Japan’s borders and beyond until its fall at the end of the Second World War. One of the many things that the Imperial age altered was the love, sex, and marriage behaviours of the Japanese people. The Meiji Restoration brought about a conservative, nationalist, and eugenicist view of the world that emphasized collective obligation in all things. The family was a microcosm of the nation and loyalty to it became the most important of virtues.

In today’s video we explore love-making and marriage in this changing Imperial Japan. Enjoy!