One sure-fire way to promote condom usage is to use a sexy girl as your brand ambassador, right? Well, we're not sure. It will certainly get the punters thinking about sex but will they then reach for a prophylactic when things get going? Condom usage in Japan is notoriously low, with men preferring to pull out (and often do a money shot on their partner, particularly their face -- a technique learned from Japanese porn). Obviously, this is not the safest method of having intercourse (and, we presume, for the female partner not the most comfortable way to end things). So Sagami continues to ...

Despite having some of the thinnest and best condoms in the world, use of contraception in Japan remains relatively low, resulting in frequent shotgun weddings -- including high-profile celebrities. As such, Japan's two main condoms brands -- Sagami and Okamoto -- try all sorts of novel marketing campaigns to encourage couples to use their products. The latest comes from Sagami, known for its 0.01 mm condoms and Keith Haring art condoms. The manufacturer hired gravure idol Airi Shimizu as its twelfth brand ambassador. The news was announced in mid-December. Specifically, Shimizu -- a firm ...

When we think of Japan, we don't tend to think of condoms. Far from it, this is the land of thousands of unwanted pregnancies, where most celebrities tend to get married shotgun-style and STDs are rampant. But one company is fighting this. Sagami is not only doing its utmost to product incredible contraceptive products but is also trying to promote sex in general. It is part condom maker, part sociology lab. It has set out to investigate the truth about sex in Japan and is responsible for some of the best research done into mainstream sex habits in Japan. It also produces the ...