In Japan between the 16th and 18th centuries, female ejaculation was portrayed in the erotic art form called shunga. In Japanese, the word shunga means picture of spring which is a common euphemism for sex. The shunga celebrated erotic and sensual pleasures using woodblocks to produce colourful prints and pictures. The shunga artists were not afraid to show any part of the human anatomy in the most explicit detail.

The shunga artists also portrayed a wide range of subjects such as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, young and old individuals as well as numerous sexual fetishes and fantasies. However, their works were always made with the utmost care combining eroticism with artistic sensibilities. Shunga erotic art was enjoyed by a wide cross section of Japanese society; rich or poor, male or female all enjoyed the shunga.

Of particular interest to us is the fact that the shunga clearly demonstrated that female ejaculation was not only an accepted part of Japanese culture, it was celebrated and even thought of to be an aphrodisiac. Furthermore, the Japanese believed that female ejaculate had health and life rejuvenating properties, and as such they encouraged it to be drunk to help reverse the aging process.

To assist with the capture of a woman’s ejaculate, the Japanese developed ejaculation bowls (see the picture below) to catch a woman’s ejaculate as it flowed freely from her vagina.  She would masturbate using a special device called a harikata, which was a bowl with a dildo attached to it.  The user of the harikata would arouse herself with the dildo until orgasm and then use the basin to capture her ejaculate.