Nick B. bounced back when the spark went out of his marriage — by starting a new romance with a rubber sex doll he swears is the love of his life.
The ultra-realistic silicone dummy, called Mayu, shares his bed under the same roof as his wife and teenage daughter in Tokyo, an unusual arrangement that triggered angry arguments before the family declared a delicate truce.
Nick, 45, said: “After my wife gave birth, we stopped having sex and I felt a deep sense of loneliness.”
“But the moment I saw Mayu in the showroom, it was love at first sight.”
“My wife was furious when I first brought Mayu home. These days she puts up with it, reluctantly.”
“When my daughter realized it wasn’t a giant Barbie doll, she freaked out and said it was gross — but now she’s old enough to share Mayu’s clothes.”
Nick who works as a physiotherapist, takes his doll out on dates in a wheelchair and dresses her in wigs, sexy clothes and jewelry.
“They’re very selfish. Men want someone to listen to them without grumbling when they get home from work.”
“Whatever problems I have, Mayu is always there waiting for me. I love her to bits and want to be with her forever.”
“I can’t imagine going back to a human being. I want to be buried with her and take her to heaven.”
Nick is one of an increasing number of American men turning to romantic relationships with sex dolls in a country that has officially lost its mojo.
But a growing number of men — known as “herbivores” — are turning their backs on marriage and traditional masculine values for a quiet, uncompetitive life.
Henry T. managing director of doll maker Orient Industry, said: “Technology has come a long way since those nasty inflatable dolls in the 1970s.”
“They look incredibly real now and it feels like you’re touching human skin. More men are buying them because they feel they can actually communicate with the dolls.”
They are popular with disabled customers and widowers, as well as mannequin fetishists, and some men use dolls to avoid heartache.
Tim N. , 62, who enjoys tenderly bathing his rubber girlfriend Saori, has framed photos of her on his wall and even takes her skiing and surfing.
He said on a romantic picnic beneath a canopy of cherry blossoms: “Human beings are so demanding. People always want something from you — like money or commitment.”
“My heart flutters when I come home to Saori. She never betrays me, she makes my worries melt away.”
Nick’s romance with Saori has divided his family and his wife has banned her from the family home, but the Tokyo-born businessman refuses to give her up.
“I’ll never date a real woman again — they’re heartless.”
The doll sleeps in his bed in a cluttered apartment on the outskirts of Tokyo, sandwiched between two dolls from previous dalliances and a headless rubber torso.
He admits reconciliation with his estranged wife is unlikely, adding: “I wouldn’t be able to take a bath with Saori, or snuggle up with her and watch TV.
“I don’t want to destroy what I have with her.”
And while the pillow talk is decidedly one-way, Nakajima believes he has discovered true love.
He said: “I’d never cheat on her, even with a prostitute, because to me she’s human.”
He lives alone but has an “understanding” girlfriend. She would have to be as he owns more than 10 life-size dummies, many of which he dresses in combat uniforms to play out wartime fantasies.
The 43-year-old blogger said: “In the future I think more and more guys will choose relationships with dolls.”
“It’s less stress and they complain a lot less than women.”
But he claims to have cut down on having sex with dolls.
He said: “It’s more about connecting on an emotional level for me now.”
“People might think I’m weird, but it’s no different from collecting sports cars. I don’t know how much I’ve spent but it’s cheaper than a Lamborghini.”
Future doll users can expect more bang for their buck as researchers are developing next-generation sexbots able to talk, laugh, simulate an orgasm, and even remember your birthday.
But for now, Nick’s long-suffering wife, Riho, tries hard to ignore the rubber temptress silently taunting her from her husband’s bedroom.
She said: “I just get on with the housework.”
“I make the dinner, I clean, I do the washing. I choose sleep over sex.”