Shintoism was not the only influence on the traditional Japanese attitude toward sex and the various social customs that were to develop during the long shogunate and feudal ages.
Some time after the great Chinese sage Lao Zi formulated the philosophy that was to become known as Daoism, some of the followers of the Way of Daoism developed a new school of Daoistic thought that incorporated a very strong sexual element.
They surmised that in order for human beings, and again especially men, to stay in harmony with the cosmos it was necessary to expel on a daily basis all of the sexual energy that accumulates in the body.
These learned philosophers recognized that failure to engage in sexual activity on a regular basis results in the buildup of a kind of sexual energy that very quickly has a negative effect, both mentally and physically. If unrelieved, said the Daoists, this energy-overload brings on a variety of illnesses, ranging from headaches to hysteria, and also causes a great deal of the mental and physical violence that human beings inflict upon each other.
Contemporary scientific research has, in fact, corroborated these ancient Daoist beliefs to an impressive degree. There is growing evidence to indicate a direct relationship between violence and the frequency and quality of sexual activity among adults.
In societies where there are severe restraints on sexual behavior, extreme violence is commonplace. The tighter the sexual controls, the more violent the society tends to be.
Having discerned the relationship between sexual activity and health, this branch of Daoist philosophers began preaching that people should engage in sex two or three times a day when young and at least once a day from middle-age on.
More experience and observation led the Daoists to the obvious conclusion that older men function more effectively when their female partners are young, and that regular performance is further enhanced when there are a variety of partners as opposed to having the same one all the time.
In a burst of male generosity, it was also acknowledged by these Daoist wisemen that older women benefited from having young men as their sexual partners.
This particular school of Daoism experienced a significant increase in its popularity shortly after this new sexual philosophy was propounded, and soon spread to Japan. Given their traditional fertility rituals and overall appreciation of sex not only as a normal, natural function but also as an essential element in the scheme of life, the Japanese had no problem accepting this new import from China.
Of course, this new wrinkle in Daoism was not sanctioned for all Japanese. It was primarily the prerogative of those in power who, after all, were the ones with the time and means to enjoy such healthy measures.
Still, the concept spread far and wide and became woven into the fabric of Japanese culture. Along with Shintoism, it was to underpin the sexual mores of the ruling shoguns, provincial fief lords, and the large samurai warrior class during the long feudal period from A.D. 1192 to 1868.