In Japan, in the early Heian period, it is said that there was an picture known as ensokuzu, osozuzu, or osokuzu-no-e (erotic picture) that portrayed sexual theme, such as the "Kokon chomon ju" (a collection of Tales Heard, Past and Present).
日本では平安時代初期から偃息図（えんそくず、おそくず）、またはおそくずの絵と呼ばれる性的題材を描いた絵画があったとされているが（『古今著聞集』など）。