Red-Light Nights, Bangkok Daze : Chronicles of Sexuality Across Asia by William Sparrow (Monsoon Books)
No matter what your standards of morality are there is no denying one fact - sex sells! It’s also one of the biggest industries throughout Asia, especially Southeast Asia which is known for its sex tourism. In Red-Light Nights, Bangkok Daze, William Sparrow takes us on a journey through the underside of Asian countries, exploring their red light districts.
Sparrow is the creator and writer and editor for his website AsianSexGazette.com. Simon Tearack, a Western journalist living in Thailand, who is also a contributor to Asian Sex Gazette (ASG) says “ASG shunned pornography and blazed a new trail: “sex journalism”, a rare attempt at honest, agenda-free coverage and analysis of actual news events linked to the sex trade and sex practices in general, on the world’s largest, most populous and most diverse continent.”
Sparrow visits the go-go bars and sex clubs in Bangkok, discusses enjo-kosai (compensated dating) and the age of consent in Japan, talks about pornography on the Internet in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim nation, and even manages to get himself invited to Triad wedding. Sparrow also partakes in many sexual adventures, for research purposes of course, and writes about them as well.
He admits that he had avoided going to see the sex shows in Bangkok for years because of what he unwittingly experienced when he walked into one of those types of establishments. He popped in, watched what was happening on stage, then immediately fled. To Sparrow, “there are just some things you don’t want to see being done with fruit or Ping-Pong balls. He also says, “I feel there is nothing sexy about the female vagina being used as a bottle opener.”
The chapter on Japan’s age of consent law is rather disturbing. Japan has one one of the lowest ages of consent at thirteen. However, Sparrow mentions that it is even younger in Metropolitan Tokyo, at twelve. I did my own research but could not find any information to back up his claim. However, I was informed by Japanese lawyer that twelve is indeed the age of consent in Metropolitan Tokyo, but there are all sorts of conditions that need to be met for it to be legal.
As a longtime resident of Japan, I also want to inform other readers that the term kogyaru is not a contraction of enjo-kosai and gal (gyaru in Japanese) but refers to a fashion style. It’s a subculture where school-aged girls and young women dress in school uniforms and usually hike up the skirt so it’s very short.
The articles are entertaining and very informative. Sparrow does his best in being objective about the sex practices of the various nations he visits. He also has a very understanding and forgiving Thai wife that lets him indulge in various “sexcapades” in pursuit of a story. I know for a fact that if I were to do the same things as Sparrow, my wife would not be understanding at all and I would be hit with a divorce form quicker than you can say “gomenasai”. ~Ernie Hoyt