The Process of Devotion to the Contemporary Sexual Abstinence through an Analysis of Related Weblogs

Attitudinal shifts among contemporary online practitioners of sexual abstinence in Japan are examined in this paper. Prior research in English-speaking contexts describes a shift from treating personal pathologies to pursuing ideals of masculinity; however, this framework lacks validity in explaining the Japanese context. Here, we adopt an analytical approach combining (1) the “devotion” model, which focuses on transformations of one’s body, lifestyle, and interpretive framework toward self-management, and (2) the “conversion” framework from the sociology of religion, emphasizing situational and background factors shaping practitioners’ social circumstances. Analyzing 51 “ona-kin” bloggers in Japan, we identify six stages of devotion: (1) vague aspirations for improvement in physical and mental well-being, (2) framing one’s physical state in terms of addiction, (3) structured self-improvement goals, (4) a pathway to self-transformation inspired by Napoleon Hill’s theory on governing sexual desire, (5) altruistic motivations for social contribution, and (6) a quest for mystical connection. While partially aligning with prior English-speaking research, our findings suggest that practitioners did not initially aim for therapeutic outcomes, particularly the shift from treatment to masculinity. Additionally, background factors, such as successive tensions and situational factors such as unique ties fostered by ona-kin blog networks, appear to support the process of devotion.