How Settings Shape the Scene in JAV

Offices, a standard place of employment, are one of various commonly used locations in Japanese adult videos. They are highly iconic, and the corporate setting emanates a familiar aura that almost any individual can relate to. They express a world rife with hierarchy, protocol, pressure - demanding deadlines, rough work, and, of course, demanding bosses. This easily allows for a rather typical sexual fantasy, with boss-employee relationships and "training" sessions, all playing into the power structures that are so prevalent in Japan's notorious workplace culture.

One of the obvious appeals to the office setting is it's realism: for many, the office is a reflection of their everyday lives, giving them a sense of relatability to the sexual fantasy. Scenarios such as a stern boss losing their composure or a shy intern being seduced are prime examples that are often used to an effective degree in JAV. The office is a setting of control, and witnessing the control unravel in some fashion is part of the office's allure as a setting.

Classrooms are also frequently used in JAV, and a bit like the office, there is also a bit of a power dynamic going on in a lot of movies that make use of the location. The setting once again makes use of relatability as a lucky male actor finds himself in a suddenly sexual situation during what would otherwise be a normal day. Student-teacher pairings, "disciplinary" sessions, or a sweet after-school encounter are all scenarios used by JAV to help play into the fantasy.

Nostalgia is also a factor as to why the classroom is a popular choice of setting. School life tends to occupy a good portion of a person's life, so most individuals tend to have fond memories of such a delicate time where they were still getting used to how the world works. Innocence and emotional intensity revive themselves in watchers, just as they were experienced back during those times. Such elements can make a scene even more impactful, even if not necessarily contributing to the actual sex.

The classroom is also quite flexible in regards to what can be done, be it submission, instruction, rebellion, or naivety, a watcher can literally expect anything to happen in a scene involving one.

The train is the perfect example of Japan and its obsession with restraint and adhering to proper social etiquette. "Chikan" scenarios heavily make use of trains as their location, as it combines the excitement of potentially getting caught with lewdness in a public space. While there are naturally criticisms regarding ethicality (despite the work bring fictional), the unrelenting popularity of the genre is a testament to the tension between conformity and secret desire.

Trains really are a wonderful setting for a JAV, as they are often compact, impersonal, and cannot be easily escaped from. Such elements are used at their fullest by studios as a way to build up suspense or sexual intensity. Ambient noise and the jostling of the train, combined with the compact crowd; all of these elements are used to make the scene feel discomforting, contributing to the excitement of a chikan fantasy. There are more tame JAV sex scenes that make use of a train setting as well, such as romantic couples taking advantage of a less populated train at night. Overall, the confined space of a train allows for little movement, making close physical proximity almost a guaranteed factor to a sex scene, heightening the sexual allure of it all.

Hot springs are also a hot location for sex scenes, as they once again play with the idea of being naughty in a place where restraint and social adherence is a strict part of Japanese culture. Many public hot springs have visitors bathing nude in public with others of the same sex, so this is naturally a popular setting for something lewd to happen. Onsens have a little more depth in comparisons to other locations as they sometimes have a beautiful visual aesthetic accompanying them. Not only do they offer the perfect setup to a sex scene, but they also have supreme visual beauty, adding an artistic flair to the movie.

Sensuality is typically the name of the game for an onsen scene, as performers are typically shown peacefully bathing or relaxing before the sex takes place. This allows for a more satisfying buildup to the main event, and it coincides with the notion that onsens are seen as romantic getaways or serve as a place for a secret affair.

Love hotels, unlike the other settings talked about on this list, are exclusively meant for passionate encounters, making them a more versatile location. Love hotels are known to often have themes, and JAV make sure to use them to the highest effect. With a love hotel, nearly anything kinky or fetishy can be acceptable without needing any buildup or context - BDSM, cosplay, group sex, or whatever other strange scenario that can be imagined. This allows directors to focus more on things like the performance or stylization.

Most JAV are obviously filmed indoors to avoid any legal repercussions, but in the event that a movie does get the privilege to be set outside, it's a wondrous opportunity. There's nothing more beautiful than nature, and such a thing compliments JAV entirely. Beaches, forests, abandoned buildings, there are all sorts of ideas that can work here, and it allows for way more creativity and a literal breath of fresh air, as I'm sure many have realized that JAV tend to recycle the same settings a lot. While this might just be studios capitalizing on formulas/fantasies that work, doing something new in a sea of redundancy will always be a boon in my book.

Spontaneity and the thrill of the risk of getting caught are both common elements associated with outdoors settings. Examples pushing those elements include sex during a camping trip, or a woman masturbating outdoors - both evoke the thrill of public exposure, as well.

Aside from the above mentioned, JAV is also known for making use of more strange locations, serving as further proof of the industry's commitment to fantasy. Locations such as spaceships, dungeons, or even the set of a sex-based game show are pure escapism where playfulness and roleplaying take the lead. Take parodies of tokusatsu for example, where heroines take on monsters as they wear spandex suits, only to suffer a humiliating "defeat". Or, take JAV set in hospitals as another example, where it's not merely fetishes for the uniform on display, but also a play on the psychological associations of trust, vulnerability, and clinical precision.

Such settings are used to the fullest effect when the performers lean into the campyness or absurdity of the premise, and they can even open up new forms of erotic expression.