What exactly is an onahole?
If you've been on our website or any Japanese Male Sex Toys review site, then you will eventually encounter the word "onahole" or "onaho" used to describe these products. But if you are new to these things, you are probably asking what is an onahole? We have been asked this question in the past so we want to take this opportunity to explain it.
Onahole or sometime written as onaho is actually the two western words (onanism or onanie and hole) shorten and put together as one word. The English word onanism is not a commonly used word but it means masturbation with first use of the word goes back to 1718 (according to Merriam-Webster) so the word has been around. It has been adopted for use in Japan still meaning masturbation but uses the German form onanie in katakana letters "オナニー". (Katakana are usually used for foreign/western loan words)
Onanism / Onanie hole makes a lot of sense as a name for male sex toys as almost all male masturbation products have a hole in it for masturbation. However Onanism / Onanie Hole is quite a mouthful and Japanese people shorten the words into one word, onahooru" オナホール " or onaho "オナホ". Onahooru" オナホール " or onaho "オナホ" are easier to say and became the perfect phrase for male masturbation products.
When ToyDemon first started back in 2008, we had debated whether if we should use some of the more common western terms in existence like pocket pussy or pocket vagina on our website and advertising. Ultimately we decided to use and push the term onahole in English (which would be the English equivalent of "onahooru") since the products we were bringing into the western world was nothing like what people thought of for pocket pussy in terms of quality and innovation. Since that time, the term onahole in English has increase in popularity and more widely used just as we had originally hoped.
Currently the phrase is usually used to describe mostly hand sized male masturbation sleeves. The sub-category of masturbation sleeve that has a plastic outer shell like TENGA Cup series often use the term Onacup instead. Other use of ona also includes TENGA EGGs as Ona-cap and ToyDemon's own ona-wrap that was developed for the Meiki Plush Doll also followed this shortening convention. Larger real body sized products in Japan would also use English origin words of Love Doll or Dutch Wife.
If you've ever wondered about what an onahole/onaho is, now you know. Let us know what you think in our community discussion.
What is an Onahole
May 01, 2020