Azumagata – The History of Male Masturbators (aka Onaholes) in Japan

In this article: Azumagata – History of Male Masturbators (aka Onaholes) in Japan.


If you are a frequent reader of this blog, or a lover of adult toys from Japan, then you almost certainly know what an onahole is. An Onahole is simply the Japanese version of a Male Masturbator, Pocket Pussy, Artificial Vagina, or whatever you wanna call them. It means hole and ‘Onani’, which is a German word, meaning masturbation (lit: masturbation hole). But have you ever wondered where they came from?

The History of Azumagata (吾妻形) goes back to the Edo Time in Japan, which was from the Year 1603 till 1868. Azumagata’s were the original and first Onaholes, and at first, they were only available to the upper-class in Japan due to the expensive materials they were made of.

Azumagata History of Male Masturbators

The original base for Azumagata were the sheaths (鞘 (Saya) in Japanese) that Samurais would place their swords in when not using.

Over the years, Azumagata’s (aka Onaholes) became available for a wider range of people, and the working class, as Azumagata’s made using cheaper materials started to become available. They were mostly made from Konjac (a soft Japanese food made of the Konjac Root) or Mochi (soft rice cake) on the inside, and materials that were cheap and available to a wide range of people.

Azumagata History of Male Masturbators

While Azumagata’s were used for a long time, it wasn’t until the 1980s that onaholes evolved in Japan into the male masturbators we use and love around the world today.

The first ones used foam on the inside, which can still be found today in budget Onaholes such as Ona-Cups. They still come pre-lubed until this day, offering quick, convenient and enjoyable fun to men worldwide.

Toys Heart, one of the most popular adult toymakers in Japan, even released an Azumagata called “Onahole” in 2009, paying tribute to the roots of this historic adult toy from ancient Japan.

Nowadays, Onaholes are popular around the world and enjoyed by many. At otonaJP, you can find, by far, the biggest selection of them – And they ship discreetly and worldwide, letting you experience the magic of sex toys from the Land Of The Rising Sun.

The Azumagata Onahole from Toys Heart dates back to 2009 and has very little in common with the Original Azumagata’s that originated in the Edo Period (1603-1868)