Sexual objectification causes women to view themselves as objects, a phenomenon known as self-objectification. While empirical studies on self-objectification have primarily focused on women in Western contexts, comprehensive investigations within the Japanese context remain limited. This study aimed to address this gap by empirically testing objectification theory through survey research. Two studies were conducted: Study 1 targeted college-aged women, and Study 2 focused on women in their twenties, with participants recruited via crowdsourcing. In both studies, regression analyses revealed significant paths from sexual objectification to self-objectification in interpersonal contexts, supporting the hypothesis that experiences of sexual objectification promote self-objectification. Subsequent path analyses further demonstrated that self-objectification was positively associated with disordered eating tendencies in both studies. Additionally, the indirect effect of self-objectification on disordered eating—mediated by body shame—was observed. These findings underscore the need to further develop objectification theory in Japan, particularly to shift societal awareness regarding women’s bodies and to combat inappropriate and unwanted objectification of Japanese women.
- Open Access
- Article
Objectification of Women in Japan and Its Effects on Their Well-Being
- Kaho Morikawa *,
- Jiro Takai
Author Information
Received: 13 Feb 2026 | Revised: 01 Apr 2026 | Accepted: 10 May 2026 | Published: 26 May 2026
Abstract
Keywords
objectification of women | self-objectification | psychological well-being | sexism | self-esteem | misogynism | body shame
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