Beyond Conventional Intimacy: Rethinking the Boundaries of Intimate Connection in Contemporary Japan

Štular, Kiri (author), Kravanja, Boštjan (mentor), Bértolo, José Luís Magusteiro (comentor)

This thesis explores how intimacy is being reinterpreted in Japan as conventional forms of intimacy associated with marriage and family formation become increasingly difficult to maintain, contributing to an ageing demographic. It first examines the structural conditions shaping individuals’ decisions to remain single, avoid long-term relationships, and choose not to start families. Having established the social and structural context contributing to the decline in conventional forms of intimacy, the thesis then examines relationality within commercial sexual labour, demonstrating how intimacy can be purchased and repackaged through both physical and emotional labour. Finally, it explores posthuman, technological and fiction-mediated forms of relationality, arguing that intimacy can be further reimagined and may evolve, challenging conventional understandings of authentic intimate connection as exclusively human.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Japan, intimacy, relationality, commercial sexual labour, posthumanism, ageing society
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Year: 2026
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-188302
• Publication date in RUL: 20.09.2026

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Onkraj konvencionalne intimnosti: Premislek o mejah intimne povezanosti na sodobnem Japonskem

Abstract

Delo raziskuje procese preoblikovanja in reinterpretacije intimnosti na Japonskem v času, ko postajajo konvencionalne oblike intimnosti, povezane s poroko in oblikovanjem družine, vse manj vzdržne, kar prispeva k demografskemu staranju države. Najprej razišče strukturne pogoje, ki vplivajo na odločitve posameznikov, da ostanejo samski, se odpovejo dolgoročnim partnerskim odnosom in se odločijo, da ne bodo ustvarili družine. Po vzpostavitvi družbenega in strukturnega konteksta, ki prispeva k demografskim izzivom Japonske, delo razišče relacionalnost v okviru komercialnega spolnega dela ter prikaže, kako je mogoče intimnost kupiti in preoblikovati tako s fizičnim kot čustvenim delom. Raziskava se nato obrne k posthumanim, tehnološkim in s fikcijo posredovanim oblikam relacionalnosti ter pokaže možnosti za nadaljnje preoblikovanje in razvoj intimnosti, s čimer izzove konvencionalna razumevanja pristne intimne povezanosti kot izključno človeške.

• Keywords: Japonska, intimnost, relacionalnost, komercialno spolno delo, posthumanizem, starajoča se družba