One in three married Japanese couples is apparently "sexless," a startling proportion said to be swelling by the year. However, it's not just the marriage bed that's gone cold. Many young couples, too, are foregoing quality time between the sheets even before tying the knot. And while sex may be the most private part of our private lives, it's time to ask where the love has gone.


One 31-year-old woman at a trading company has been in a happy relationship with a 35-year-old coworker for more than five years. They always spend their weekends together, and at the beginning of their relationship were having sex every week. However, after about six months the frequency of their lovemaking declined steadily from the weekly pace to once every one or two months. They now have sex only a few times a year.