A General History of Japanese Masochism: Modernity Martyred for the State | #6

When did the Japanese people start loving to work so hard?
No, to be precise—
When did they become creatures who could positively affirm their own suffering?

Modernity is not an era of freedom.
It is not an era of liberation either.
It is an era where suffering has accelerated, become refined, and 'evolved' erotically.

They feel relieved when ordered, find beauty in being hurt, take pride in enduring, and eventually become excited as they are driven into a corner.

They have no awareness of being beaten.
They have no sensation of being bound.
Even so, people keep running.

—Because they believe this is 'effort they chose for themselves.'

This is a record of the acceleration of
Japanese masochism that ran wild through the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa eras.
Until suffering became a duty, an aesthetic, a personality, and finally, replaced by excitement.

Hell accelerates rapidly from this era on.
And, it is incredibly erotic.

🔗Related Links

Prologue | Modernity: The Era When Masochism Began to 'Run Wild'

Modern Japanese people finally gained speed.
It is neither freedom nor liberation.
It is the acceleration of suffering.

Meiji.
The moment the steam whistle blew, iron began to run, and clocks began to turn,
the Japanese body learned the 'pleasure of being rushed.'

Be faster.
Catch up.
Don't fall behind.

—The orders were short, strong, and sweet.

The hell of the pre-modern era was the type that tightened slowly.
Endurance was a long-term battle, silence was a virtue, and desires were pushed further and further into the background.
But modernity is different.
The speed at which the whip comes down is strangely fast.

The modern state commands.
And it does so with a gentle face.

'Let's grow.'
'Let's become strong.'
'Let's become a civilized nation.'

—This is incredibly erotic.
Because here, the Japanese people feel like they are 'choosing' while being ordered.

They are told to do it.
—But they feel like they decided it themselves.
They are bound.
—But they have the sensation of moving forward.
This is a complete perversion.

Modern masochism does not hide the pain.
But at the same time, it begins to build a circuit that converts pain into excitement.

Sweat.
Impatience.
Anxiety.
The fear of being left behind.

These are labeled as 'effort,' 'ambition,' and 'mission,' and they soak slowly into the depths of the body.
Before they know it, the Japanese people have become like this.

Even though it is painful, they look forward.
Even though they are cornered, they feel proud.
Even though they are at their limit, they think they can still go on.
—This state is quite erotic.

Because this is—
'I hate it, but I can't stop.'
'It's tough, but I'm being evaluated.'
'I'm about to break, but I'm being expected to perform.'
It is a multiple constraint of the spirit.

In modernity, masochism is no longer a 'technique of endurance.'
It becomes a technique of breaking while accelerating.

Meiji tightens with discipline.
Taisho makes emotions tremble excessively.
Showa turns those who endured into heroes, and eventually, in its later stages, the entire nation begins to get drunk on elation.

What is modernity?
It is—
An era where suffering attacks with a positive face.

Even though they are being beaten, they are made to think, 'This is necessary.'
Even though they are bound, they feel like they are 'growing.'
In this era, the Japanese people are confronted with the worst, most sweet condition: 'You cannot survive unless you learn to love your suffering self.'

Don't run.
Don't stop.
Feel it.
Further, forward.

—The hell from here on is noisy.
—The pleasure from here on is fast.
Please rest assured.
The hell of modernity is incredibly erotic.

First, let's start with Meiji.
Let's begin with the era where the body somehow feels at ease when ordered.

Meiji Era | Feeling Relieved When Ordered — Disciplinary Masochism

—The Modern State = A Giant Mistress

The Meiji era.
Here, the 'character' of Japanese masochism clearly changes.

It's not that they want to be beaten.
It's not that they want to endure.
It's not that they want to be lost.
—They want to be ordered.
This is Meiji.

Until the Edo period, Japanese people made endurance a way of life.
But in Meiji, the atmosphere suddenly changes.
A clear voice descends from above.

'Do this.'
'Do it this way.'
'Don't be late.'
'Line up.'
'Stand in order.'

…Let me be honest.
Japanese people feel a bit relieved here.

No need to think.
No need to worry.
No need to be lost.

Just do as you are told.
This is quite pleasant.

Behind the Meiji government is a giant mistress.
She is not the type to swing a whip around.
She doesn't yell.
She doesn't show much emotion either.

She just stands straight, looks down at you with cold eyes, and calmly drops orders.

'Stand.'
'Learn.'
'Work.'
'Train.'
'Don't be late.'

—Yes, a complete structure of domination.
But this mistress also says this:

'If you obey, you will become strong.'
'If you obey, you can become modern.'
'If you obey, you can catch up to the world.'

This is the most erotic point of Meiji masochism.
The orders come with rewards.

Painful? —That is training.
Tough? —That is growth.
Can't obey? —That is immaturity.
There is no escape anymore.
But at the same time, the path is narrowed down to one.

In this era, Japanese people experience for the first time:
'The pleasure of having the correct answer prepared.'

School.
Military.
Bureaucracy.
Uniforms.
Commands.
Alignment.

Discipline strokes the entire body.
Posture, language, time, thought.
Any disordered part is immediately pointed out.
But strangely, the more they are corrected, the calmer they feel.

'I am doing it right.'
'I am not wrong.'
'I am being useful.'

This sensation is complete conditioning.
Moreover, this mistress sometimes praises you.

'You endured well.'
'You worked hard.'
'You are useful to the country.'

—It is over.
Meiji disciplinary masochism finds pleasure in the state of obeying, rather than in the suffering itself.

Rather than thinking for oneself, entrust the body to orders.
Rather than choosing for oneself, move according to instructions.
What lies there is the peace of submission.

The modern state is an excellent mistress.
It is consistent, its purpose is clear, and it does not become emotional.
That is precisely why those who obey sink deeper and deeper.
Meiji Japanese people acquire a decisive habit here:

• Feeling relieved when there are orders
• Feeling calm when there is discipline
• Desiring instructions more than freedom

This connects to everything that follows.
Companies, schools, the state, organizations—

'Because the higher-ups said so.'
'Because it's the rule.'
'Because it's always been that way.'

—The mistress continues to live on, changing her form.
The Meiji era was an era that learned the pleasure of entrusting one's entire body to a mistress named discipline.

It is painful.
But it is relieving.
It is binding.
But it is correct.

This perversion has an extremely high degree of perfection.
Because the person themselves thinks it is
'growth,' 'modernization,' and 'mission.'

And in the next era, the orders loosen slightly.
But instead, emotions begin to run wild.
The body bound by discipline now tries to become beautiful by being hurt.
—Masochism becomes even more erotic.

Taisho Era | Beautiful Enough to Be Hurt — Aesthetic Masochism

—A Short-Lived Pleasure Where the Talent for Getting Drunk on Tragedy Blossomed

The Taisho era.
If I were to describe this era in one word, it is the era when people began to gaze enchantedly at their own wounds.

In Meiji, Japanese people learned the pleasure of obeying orders.
They felt relieved by being bound by discipline, lining up, and behaving correctly.
But in Taisho, that discipline loosens for just a moment.

The state is still a mistress, but it keeps a little distance.
Then what happens?
—Emotions overflow from within.

Taisho is short.
Too short.
That is precisely why Japanese people realize here:

'It won't last long anyway.'
'Then, I might as well sink deep.'
This is the starting point of Taisho aesthetic masochism.

It's not that they want to suffer.
It's not that they want to endure.
—They want to break beautifully.
This is the desire of Taisho.

The eroticism of this era lies in the spirit rather than the flesh.
More than sweat, it is sighs.
More than impulse, it is silence.

Love doesn't have to be fulfilled.
A way of life doesn't have to be rewarded.
In fact, it is better if it is not rewarded.

Because the self that is in the midst of tragedy is the most beautiful.
Taisho people do not hide their wounds.
In fact, they show them.

'I am not understood.'
'I don't fit the era.'
'This sensibility cannot live long.'

—They get drunk on the self that thinks this way.
This self-intoxication is quite erotic.
A desire for destruction quietly becomes erect.

Living fast.
Feeling too much.
Drowning in words.

Think back to Taisho literature.
Is that philosophy?
No, it is the act of stroking one's own weakness.

The wounded self.
The lonely self.
The self that cannot fit into society.

They do not deny these.
In fact, they assert, 'That is precisely why it is beautiful.'
—A complete perversion.

Suffering is superior to living normally.
Anxiety over stability.
Weakness over health.
This set of values is dangerous, but too sensual.

Taisho masochism is not pleasure from being beaten.
It is not relief from being bound.
It is the pleasure of opening one's own wounds and gazing at them.

No blood is coming out.
But the heart is—
Always wet.
Always erect.

Moreover, in this era, people call it 'romance,' 'aestheticism,' and 'art.'
In other words, socially permitted self-destruction.
This is strong.
Because it wears the face of 'only those who understand will understand.'

Loneliness becomes a sense of being special.
Anguish becomes proof of talent.
Misfortune becomes a story.

—Here, Japanese people learn a new pleasure.
Holding the suffering self in one's heart without showing it to others.

Letting no one touch it.
Letting no one save it.
This pain that only I know.

This 'feeling of keeping it secret' is, in any case, erotic.
Taisho aesthetic masochism was established precisely because it was short-lived.
If it lasted long, it would just be a sickness.

But it is good because it is short.
It is beautiful because it is a fleeting moment.
Taisho tightens the body, which Meiji discipline bound from the outside, from the inside.

'The self that feels too much'
'The self that is easily broken'
'The self that finds it hard to live'

They do not deny these, but rather roll them on their tongues, savor them, and sink into them.
Taisho was an era that learned to consume suffering as 'tragedy.'
This sensation is definitely passed on to the next.

But next, it will not end with aestheticism.
There will be no time to be drunk.
The era of getting drunk on tragedy ends, and it becomes an era where enduring itself becomes a duty.

Romance is peeled away, aestheticism is crushed, and the individual is dissolved.
Taisho was the 'last reprieve where Japanese people could love their breaking selves.'
—That is precisely why it was so erotic.

Early Showa Era | Toward the Era of Total National Masochism — Endurance Masochism

—An Era Where Endurance Became Justice, Painful Faces Were Praised, and Silent Bodies Were Mass-Produced

Early Showa.
In this era, Japanese people finally complete the technique of pushing suffering down.

Until Taisho, there was still aestheticism.
There was the leeway to embrace the breaking self and get drunk on tragedy.
But early Showa is different.

—There is no time to be drunk.
Hunger.
Cold.
Poverty.
War.
The state.

The pressure coming from the outside is too strong, and before emotions can float to the surface, everything is crushed.
The masochism of this era is not for feeling.
It is for not feeling.

Painful? —That's obvious.
Tough? —Everyone is the same.
Want to cry? —Don't cry.
Here, the ethics of early Showa are established.

• Being able to endure = admirable
• Painful face = beautiful
• Being silent = adult
• Enduring = correct

This set of values is incredibly effective on the body.
Because the moment you express emotion, you are judged as 'weak.'
So people don't express it.
They hold their breath.
They swallow their voices.
They push their desires deeper and deeper inside.

—This sensation of 'pushing in.'
Here lies the sensuality of early Showa masochism.
The chest feels tight.
The depths of the stomach feel heavy.
The words one wants to say are crushed in the throat.

Even so, they stand.
Even so, they work.
Even so, they try to smile.
This strain on the body slowly turns into pleasure.

Because the more they endure—
'I am doing it right'
'I am being useful'
'I am not causing trouble'
—this evaluation is secreted within.

Early Showa masochism is not pleasure from being beaten, nor is it relief from being bound.
Even though they are being crushed, they are proud.
This is the most dangerous and the most eroticism.

The state says:
'Endure.'
'Work hard.'
'It's for everyone.'

But what is even more terrifying is after no one says it anymore.
Even without being ordered, the body endures on its own.
Even if it's cold, they are silent.
Even if they are hungry, they endure.
Even if they have desires, they are ashamed.

In this era, Japanese people learn.
That suffering loses its value the moment it is voiced.
So, they are silent.
They are silent and endure.
They gently stroke their enduring selves from the inside.

'I am able to endure.'
'I am enduring.'

This self-confirmation.
This self-intoxication.
It is complete masochism.

Moreover, in this era,
the more one endures, the more 'clean' one looks.
They don't show desire.
They don't complain.
Even if they are tired, they don't show it on their faces.

—This is quite bizarre from a sexual perspective.
Even though they are feeling, they don't show it.
Even though they are seeking, they don't touch.
Even though they are at their limit, they don't collapse.

The body is always tense.
Breathing is shallow.
Muscles are stiff.
Yet, only the posture is correct.

This line of the suppressed body is the eroticism of early Showa.
War pushes this endurance masochism to the limit.
The individual disappears, emotions are erased, and 'everyone' is prioritized.

Fear? —Swallow it.
Sadness? —Put it away.
Death? —It is an honor.

Here, suffering is completely pushed down.
It doesn't come to the surface.
It cannot be brought out.
If you bring it out, it is betrayal.

Early Showa was an era of surviving by stopping the ability to feel.
But don't forget.
It's not that they stopped feeling.

Everything is accumulating below.
In the depths of the stomach.
At the bottom of the chest.
In a place no one can touch.

This pressure that keeps accumulating.
This internal pressure with nowhere to escape.
—This is the true nature of early Showa endurance masochism.

Endurance = Justice.
Painful face = Admirable.
Silently enduring = National character.

Thus, Japanese people completed a body that does not bring suffering to the outside, but embraces it within.
And this endurance explodes in a different form after the war.

Next is late Showa.
The suppressed desires, along with the economy, rise all at once.
The era of just enduring ends.
Next is—exciting masochism.

Late Showa Era | Being Forced to Be Excited — Elation Masochism

—An Era That Wrapped Suffering in Tension and Swallowed It with a Smile

Late Showa.
In this era, Japanese people finally complete the technique of wrapping suffering in a 'happy face.'

The early period was endurance.
They were silent, cowered, and pushed it down.
But the late period is different.

—Raise it.
—Build it up.
—Get on board.

Painful? —That's growth.
Tough? —Now is the time to dig in.
Hard? —Everyone is the same, let's do our best.

Here, the magic words of late Showa are all gathered.

• Dreams
• Hope
• Growth
• Positive
• Bright future

These are all wrappings that cover suffering.
The contents are still heavy.

Overtime.
Quotas.
Hierarchical relationships.
Peer pressure.

But the outside is inexplicably bright.

Smiles.
Guts poses.
High tension.

—This gap.
This discrepancy.
This is the most erotic part of late Showa masochism.

In this era, suffering is hidden.
—No, it is performed.
You must show yourself working hard.
A tired face is no good.
A painful face is also no good.

An excited face.
An upbeat atmosphere.
Positive words.
—This is the 'correct expression.'

The body is screaming.
But the mouth smiles.
The eyes shine.
The back is straight.

This forced sense of elation.
This is completely sexual.
Because continuing to pretend to be excited always puts the body in a state of tension.

Heart rate is high.
Breathing is shallow.
Adrenaline is constantly flowing.

—Always 'on the verge of climax.'
In late Showa, the entire society enters a state of 'edging.'

At work—
'I can still go.'
'Let's aim for one step higher.'
'This is the time to dig in.'

At home—
'Good life.'
'Convenience.'
'Affluence.'

The streets shine, things increase, and music becomes noisy.
But quietly, the internal pressure increases.
No one says 'it's painful.'
They can't.
Because the moment you say it, the air stops.

—Someone who isn't on board.
—Someone with low tension.
—Someone who doesn't talk about dreams.

Just that makes you look out of place.
Here, internal pressure is born.
It's not that you are being beaten from above.
It's not that you are being pushed from below.
You are surrounded from all four sides.

Everyone is working hard.
Everyone looks happy.
Everyone is positive.
—Then, I should be too.

Late Showa masochism is a perversion that finds relief in conformity.
Even though it is painful, you say it is fun.
Even though you are tired, you put on a cool face.
Even though you are at your limit, you convince yourself you can still go.
This 'power of conviction' is socially evaluated.

A sense of working hard.
An atmosphere of being busy.
A figure that keeps running.

—These are all pressures on the body.
But the pressure wears the face of not being a villain.
For growth.
For the future.
For dreams.
Therefore, people do not run away.
In fact, they willingly bathe in it.

Late Showa elation masochism does not mean 'not feeling suffering.'
It converts suffering into excitement.
The tougher it is, the more it burns.
The busier it is, the more fulfilling it looks.
The more cornered you are, the more valuable you feel.

—It is a complete tension-type perversion.

In this era, Japanese people learn.
That suffering is not something to be done with a dark face.
It is something to be done with a bright face, energetically, and with a good vibe.

And this habit is definitely passed on to the next era.
Smiling while enduring.
Being positive while being cornered.
Talking about growth while about to collapse.

Late Showa was an era that turned suffering into entertainment.
Endurance is already old.
From now on, it is excitement.

But I want you to remember.
Suffering wrapped in tension will always eventually call for a reaction.

Final Chapter | Summary of Modern Masochism

—The Era When Suffering Began to Disguise Itself as 'One's Own Will'

What was modernity?
Meiji, Taisho, Showa.
There is one line that runs through these three.

It is—
The moment when suffering transformed from something given from the outside into 'something chosen by oneself.'

Until the early modern period, it was still easy to understand.
Being beaten.
Being tightened.
Being bound.
Being made to endure.

But modernity is different.
No one beats you.
No one binds you.
Instead, they whisper:

'You chose this yourself, right?'
—From here, hell suddenly becomes eros.

Meiji masochism was discipline.
Orders.
Alignment.
Commands.
Rules.

A giant mistress called the state looks down from above.
The expression is cold, the voice is low, but what she says is simple.

'Do it properly.'

This 'do it properly' is irresistible.
You know what to do.
It is decided how to move.
No need to be lost.

When ordered, the body feels at ease.
No need to think.
If you obey, you are praised.

—The moment domination turns into relief.
Here, people begin to feel proud of being bound.

Taisho is short.
That is precisely why it is dense.
The masochism of this era is aesthetic.

Being hurt.
Worrying.
Not being rewarded.
Not being satisfied.

But they start calling it 'beautiful.'
Getting drunk on tragedy.
Being enchanted by destruction.

Gazing intently at the suffering self.
Being intoxicated by that figure.

—Here, masochism begins to embrace emotions.

Painful.
Suffering.
Yet, they don't stop.
In fact, they savor it.

A perversion like cutting oneself out and gazing at it.
This is the eros of Taisho.

Early Showa.
Here, masochism becomes heavy.

Endurance.
Patience.
Silent endurance.
Durability.

A painful face is admirable.
Being silent is a virtue.
The figure of enduring is evaluated.

Here, pleasure is no longer spoken of.
Desire is also submerged.
Just pushing it down, endlessly.

—Suffering accumulates in the depths of the body.

But no one doubts it.
Because they are taught that 'that is how it is.'
Here, people become good at pretending not to feel suffering.

And late Showa.
The air changes all at once.

Bright.
Energetic.
Positive.
Dreams.
Hope.
Growth.

Painful? —You have a bad vibe.
Tired? —You're spoiled.
Hard? —It's your imagination.

Here, masochism wears tension.
Suffering is not hidden.
It is wrapped in a smile.

A sense of working hard.
An atmosphere of being busy.
A cool face.

—A society that continues to pretend to be excited.

The body is taut, the heart rate is high, and one is constantly required to go 'one step higher.'

This is elation masochism.
A technique to make suffering mistaken for excitement.

Throughout modernity, Japanese people evolved like this:

• Enduring even without being beaten
• Obeying even without being bound
• Working hard even without being ordered

Moreover, they say this:

'I'm choosing it myself'
'It's my own will'
'Because it's growth'

—This is the most erotic part.

Because this is a state where domination and consent have melted together.
Doing it even though you hate it.
Continuing even though it is painful.
Making a positive face even though you are at your limit.

Believing that it is 'your own will.'
Modern masochism was a device to incorporate suffering into one's identity.

The enduring self.
The working-hard self.
The wounded self.

—That becomes 'being myself.'

Once you reach this point, there are few escape routes left.
Stopping is considered betrayal, being spoiled, and immaturity.
The hell of modernity is not violent.
But it is deep, long, and hard to escape.

Please rest assured.
This is not a story of the past.
This structure is further internalized in the next era, further refined, and takes on an even gentler face.

—And people will even begin to feel pride in binding themselves.

Modernity was an era when masochism transformed from a 'way of life' into 'the self itself.'
Once you reach this point, you can't go back.
But there is still more ahead.

Hell will become smarter, more positive, and more pleasant.
—The general history of Japanese masochism continues.

Next Preview | Modern Era

Next time, we begin from the present day.
Heisei, Reiwa.
An era where systems were perfected, management was refined, and freedom was distributed in abundance.

No one hits you anymore.
No one gives you orders anymore.
No one even tells you to "obey" anymore.

── In exchange, everything has become your own responsibility.

Effort is a virtue, success is talent, and failure is a personal problem.
Even though you are supposedly bound by no one, you are constantly evaluated, compared, and measured by numbers.
The modern era is a time where you manage yourself, drive yourself, and are made to believe that this is "growth."

Heisei.
Freedom was granted, and choices increased.
── But once you choose, there is no escape.

Reiwa.
Kindness and consideration increased.
── Because of that, it became harder to express your true feelings.

A cheerful face despite being exhausted.
Positive words despite being at your limit.
Saying "I'm fine" despite being in pain.

No one is forcing you.
Yet, you cannot stop.

Modern masochism does not shed blood.
It does not make you scream.
It simply does not let you rest.

The self that works hard.
The self that acts properly.
The self that endures.

── Continuing to perform these roles becomes the condition for survival.
The modern era is a time when suffering becomes one's identity.
But rest assured.
This hell is very clean, quiet, and gentle.
That is precisely why it is the hardest to escape.

Next time, the present.
The Comprehensive History of Japanese Masochism finally reaches "now."

🔗 Related Links ── Recommended Reading Order

🪞Introduction to Masochism: How to Read Masochism
── A gateway to the world of masochism. A beginner's guide that gently explains the foundational philosophy of the M-perspective.

Strata of the Masochist: Freedom Lies at the Bottom of Nihilism (General Table of Contents)
── Shame, loneliness, guilt, dependence, worthlessness, approval, fear, and attachment. A theory of perversion that peels back the emotions pasted onto the heart and dives deep.

Genesis of Masochism: Why Humanity "Kneels to Pleasure" (General Table of Contents)
── A general table of contents for a series on civilization theory that deciphers human history through "kneeling," from the dawn of civilization to the present day.

Feeling Masochism: The Pleasure Philosophy of the Five Senses and Supersenses (General Table of Contents)
── Navigation for the entire series, summarizing the world of "feeling" through the five senses and supersenses.

Literary Pervert Encyclopedia: A Genealogy of Sex, Beauty, and Reason (General Table of Contents)
── A "Pervert Aesthetics Archive" compiling a wide range of readings where eros, philosophy, and pervert cultural theory spiral together.

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