The claim of this research is that there has been both a sea change in the depiction of gender relations in Japanese television advertising This change is both qualitatively palpable as well as quantitatively demonstrable Importantly, these changes are, in the main, only with regard to heterosexual relations although there has been a marked representation of women sharing physical intimacy with other women I have taken some pains in earlier sections to distinguish between Feelings and Sexuality The reasons, above all, are that not all acts of intimacy involve physical exchange; So, too, not all expressions of sexuality are intimate, nor involve much in the way of emotions Still, it seems intuitive that a close correspondence does generally prevail If for no other reason that when ads are not aiming to shock or overwhelm, they are seeking some form of empathic connection and often this empathetic link is forged (or at least sought) through the intimacies shared and emotions exchanged between protagonists What Japanese ads today provide, then, is a veritable peeper's delight: a smorgasbord of spied acts, furtive hand holds, intimate clinches, romantic exchanges

This may only amount to a passing phase, but if the past few years is any gauge, the steady accretion in representations of intimacy would suggest that it will only keep growing In the final section, I offer some general remarks based on this survey of the contemporary ad milieu

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