Japan's Lonely Single Men Are Settling For Virtual Reality "Wives Of The Future"

In a country where over 70% of unmarried men between 18 and 34, and 60% of women, have no relationship with a member of the opposite sex, and where birthrates are among the lowest in the world after Japanese women gave birth to fewer than one million babies in 2016 for the first time since the government began tracking birth rates, Bloomberg reports on an industry that’s profiting off the reluctance of young Japanese men and women to find a human partner.

What Bloomberg calls the “virtual love industry” in Japan has blossomed into a multi-million-dollar concern as unmarried men and women increasingly turn to simulated digital offerings for companionship.  Inventors create applications that essentially allow users to build a ‘virtual wife’ or ‘virtual husband’. While we imagine virtual companions bring badly needed comfort to millions of lonely Japanese, as Bloomberg notes, the industry does have a dark side: Some virtual-reality offerings promote unrealistic and even damaging portrayals of women as submissive. And men as domineering and menacing.

“Starting today, you live here now, with me,” he snarls. “I expect you to keep me entertained.” Wait, isn’t that his job?

A real young man on the streets of Akihabara, a district of Tokyo known for its anime and manga culture, is impressed by a demo of the game but declares, cringing, “Getting hit on by a man—it was pretty embarrassing.”

Simple companionship isn’t Takechi’s only vision. His virtual world of husband and dutiful wife, he says, “could develop into love, if we keep investigating further.”

One inventor who build a virtual-reality platform said he aims to create a virtual partner who brings greater satisfaction to Japanese men and women than a human companion would. That’s bad news for the Japanese economy, which, thanks to the looming demographic crunch as the population rapidly ages, will need to increasingly rely on the Bank of Japan’s “stimulus” to avoid a deflationary spiral.

“She’s always there, always listening, ready to cater to her husband’s every whim. Meet Azuma Hikari, Japan’s digital “wife of the future,” according to her inventor, Minori Takechi, who believes his AI construct can go some way toward solving Japan’s problem with loneliness.

Hikari lives in a bubble—like, an actual bubble, or a little transparent cylinder at any rate—in a skimpy outfit, lending a sympathetic ear to her man’s troubles, responding to commands, and flirting (“bath time—do not peep!”). Age: 20. Height: 158 centimeters. Specialty: fried eggs. Dislike: insects. So, less like Siri, more like Offred.

Takechi set out to create a partner who “brings greater satisfaction than human interaction.” Best of all, Hikari is bashful, so her owner “doesn’t have to communicate with her all the time,” Takechi says with a shy grin, in the second video in our Love Disrupted series. He is selling his prototype for $2,700 and reports 300 pre-orders, mainly from men in their 20s and 30s.”

At any rate at matter, should North Korean Leader follow through with his threats to “sink” Japan with nuclear weapons, a decision that, using the logic of certain investment banks, would represent an unprecedented economic stimulus.
 

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Meanwhile, we recently noted that the thriving market for lifelike sex dolls may have jumped the shark after a company offering sex doll rentals shuttered its new venture after less than a week after it inspired a storm of controversy. But we doubt that setback will forestall more advances in sex doll technology. For a look at what"s to come, the Daily Star recently published a look inside the sex doll workshop of Spanish scientist Dr Sergi Santos, who recently produced a talking sex robot named Samantha.

The Daily Star published some exclusive photos of Santos"s "works in progress"...

Many of the images of the dolls mimicking real-life situations are simply uncanny...

It"s a silicone angel...

And here"s video from inside the workshop...

"It's Really Hard In China" - Sex Doll Rental Business Withdraws From Market After Just A Week

As we warned over the weekend, when we first learned of Beijing"s new sex doll rental business, China"s sharing economy may have just jumped the shark.

Now, just 4 days later, after its business model elicited a flood of complaints and criticism, Chinese company Ta Qu – or “Touch” in English – has announced that it will close its week-old sex-doll rental business, inspiring budget-focused silicon slammers in the world’s second-largest economy to issue a collective groan.

Touch began offering five different sex doll types for daily or longer-term rent last Thursday in Beijing. But according to the BBC,“it quickly drew complaints and criticism.”

The company said in a statement on Weibo that it "sincerely apologized for the negative impact" of its business model.

But the company added that sex is "not vulgar" and said it would keep working towards more people enjoying it. The company said it had generated “a lot of interest and requests” during its short-lived run.

Unfortunately for entrepreneurs hoping to enter China’s thriving sex-toy industry, the company noted that succeeding in that industry “is really hard in China.”

"We prepared ten dolls for the trial operation," a company spokesperson said via email, adding that they received very positive feedback from users.

"But it"s really hard in China," the firm wrote, saying there had been a lot of controversy with the police over the issue.

The company had offered the sex dolls for a daily fee of 298 yuan (about $50), according to Chinese media. It also sells an array of sex toys and dolls, according to the BBC.

Here"s what that would"ve bought you:

In its Weibo statement, the firm said its original intention had been to make expensive silicone dolls more affordable but conceded that the service triggered a heated public debate. The company also said it would pay out compensation to users worth double the amount they had paid as a deposit for reserving a doll.

The statement added that Touch would in future pay more attention to its "social duty", and would actively promote a "healthier and more harmonious sex lifestyle".

The Chinese app was launched in 2015 as a platform for discussing issues about sex and sexuality before “pivoting” into sales.

As we reported earlier in the week, the company planned to offer five models to choose from: "Greek bikini model," "US Wonder Woman," "Korean housewife," "Russian teenager" and "Hong Kong car race cheerleader." Users can customize the dolls to their liking by picking out hair and eye color, as well as their outfits.

For those asking the obvious question, the company states that it also has hygiene on its mind, as explained by their official policy.

"The dolls" lower parts are changed for every customer," reads the app. "Please remove the lower parts before returning. After the lower parts are cleaned, the doll can be used repeatedly."

The company hoped to capitalize on China’s notorious gender imbalance favoring men, as well as the country’s thriving online gaming culture, which breeds hordes of lonely young men.

Beijing Start-Up Now Offers Sex Dolls For Rent

It"s official: China"s sharing economy has reached its peak.

After shared workout pods, stools luxury cars, and, of course, bicycles, Shanghaist reports that a Beijing-based startup now has come up with a "mesmerizingly grotesque" idea: what if people could rent sex dolls through an app and return them after a period of time so that other silicone slammers could take advantage of the very same product?

And no, sadly this is not a joke.

The Chinese app, which is called Ta Qu, or "Touch" in English, was launched in 2015 as a platform for discussing issues about sex and sexuality. Over the past two years, it has pivoted or "(d)evolved" into a sex doll sharing app, which is now being tested in Beijing.  The Global Times reports that daily rentals cost 298 yuan, or less than $50, while users of the app can rent dolls for a week for the price of 1,298 yuan, after making an 8,000 yuan deposit.

The dolls then get delivered right to the user"s doorstep.

According to the Chinese outlet, there are currently five models to choose from: "Greek bikini model," "US Wonder Woman," "Korean housewife," "Russian teenager" and "Hong Kong car race cheerleader." Users can customize the dolls to their liking by picking out hair and eye color, as well as their outfits. 

Here is what $50 per day rents you:

For those asking the obvious question, the company states that it also has hygiene on its mind, as explained by their official policy.

"The dolls" lower parts are changed for every customer," reads the app. "Please remove the lower parts before returning. After the lower parts are cleaned, the doll can be used repeatedly."

The sex rental-sharing app is currently trying to make a name for itself in China"s booming adult toy market. On Weibo, where the company has more than 300,000 followers, it announced it would be giving out 20,000 free condoms as a way of promotion. It has also established several "pop-up" locations in Beijing to inform residents about their services, while even allowing people to pose for photos with their dolls while riding on the city"s subway.

Hoping to capitalize on China"s infamous gender imbalance, as well as its online gaming culture which breeds hordes of lonely young men, it remains to be seen whether Ta Qu will actually be able to translate the sharing economy model to sex dolls. But hey, at least it"s a better idea than shared umbrellas.

Creepy New “Smart Toys” Allow Pedophiles to Track & Talk Directly to Kids

A particularly ominous warning was put out by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center this week alerting people to the potential dangers internet-connected toys pose to adults and children alike. Not only do these ‘spy toys’ have the potential to record kids’ conversations, track their movements, reveal their location — they even allow perverts to TALK to children directly.

The alert, titled: CONSUMER NOTICE: INTERNET-CONNECTED TOYS COULD PRESENT PRIVACY AND CONTACT CONCERNS FOR CHILDREN, warns users of the security risks and vulnerabilities posed by this new line of smart toys that connect via wifi or Bluetooth to your home network.

The toys, according to the warning, typically contain sensors, microphones, cameras, data storage components, and other multimedia capabilities – including speech recognition and GPS options.

According to the FBI, “microphones could record and collect conversations within earshot of the device. Information such as the child’s name, school, likes and dislikes, and activities may be disclosed through normal conversation with the toy or in the surrounding environment. The collection of a child’s personal information combined with a toy’s ability to connect to the Internet or other devices raises concerns for privacy and physical safety.”

Given how easily children give out their information — especially considering they think they are engaging with a harmless toy — the implications for abuse from criminal and government actors are damning.

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The deliberate or accidental vulnerabilities inside these toys present a unique opportunity for sickos who want to spy on or otherwise engage in conversation with unsuspecting children.

According to the FBI, these “devices could pose a risk for unauthorized access to the toy and allow communications with a child user.”

READ MORE:  Ohio Police Chief, "I Want Them To Be Worried We’re Watching, To Never Know When We’re Overhead."

In other words, pedophiles could access these toys and talk to children, potentially luring them out of the home and into the arms of their attacker. Given the fact that many of these spy toys use GPS, the predators would easily be able to locate their victim.

However, it’s not just children that are unprotected, these toys are vulnerable to exploits which could allow hackers access to the microphone and cameras — essentially allowing for unauthorized surveillance of their unwitting victims. These exploits would then pave the way for identity theft, bank fraud, or even violent crimes against adults and children alike.

The FBI notes that “Security safeguards for these toys can be overlooked in the rush to market them and to make them easy to use.

“Consumers should perform online research of these products for any known issues that have been identified by security researchers or in consumer reports,” the FBI recommended.

Even if you do all your research and pick out the safest spy toys on the market, however, the data collected, and security measures are all out of your hands and in the hands of the manufacturer or server operations.

As the tech site Slash Gear points out, unfortunately, server security is on the manufacturer or their third-party partner responsible for storing the data, and it certainly seems that in a lot of cases, security of these servers is put on the back burner until a breach actually occurs.

As with any internet connected devices, allowing children unsupervised access from the start is a terrible idea. And, if you must have them, it is your responsibility to supervise your children, secure your internet access, and make sure that these toys aren’t wholeheartedly spying on you and your kids.

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Ironically enough, these toys sound like the FBI’s wet dream.

As TFTP reported last year, a formal complaint filed with the FTC by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood, the Center for Digital Democracy, and the Consumers Union notes that the “toys subject young children to ongoing surveillance,” in violation of privacy and consumer protection laws — and, worse, the nature of the company Genesis Toys employs for that purpose.

“Nuance Communications,” the aforementioned groups state in a complaint to the FTC, “represents itself as a leader in voice technology, including speech recognition software and voice biometric solutions that allow a search of the company’s 60 million enrolled voiceprints for a voice match from recorded conversations to be performed within minutes. Nuance markets its technology to private and public entities and delivers its voice biometric technology to military, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies.”

“Both Genesis Toys and Nuance Communications unfairly and deceptively collect, use, and disclose audio files of children’s voices without providing adequate notice or obtaining verified parental consent,” the complaint stated.

While the FBI lists a myriad of different ways consumers can limit their risks of exploitation from these toys, conveniently absent from their list is the simple option of not buying them.