Sex dolls stand out as modern, highly sophisticated, and technologically advanced adult toys, evoking fascination and excitement among millions of individuals worldwide, regardless of their sexual orientation or relationship status. These individuals welcome sex dolls into their homes for exhilarating intimacy, affection, companionship, and exploration.

Even those who possess and engage with love dolls regularly, considering themselves aficionados of top-tier aids for self-pleasure, may be taken aback to learn that even ancient Greek deities fell under the spell of inanimate objects. Legends recount the tale of Pygmalion, an esteemed Greek sculptor who was so enthralled by his creation that he engaged in intimacy with the statue before it came to life. This may seem unusual, yet it underscores the existence of myriad astonishing, mind-boggling, and admittedly eccentric truths surrounding sex dolls.

Here, we've curated several of our favorite facts. How many were you already aware of? If you have an offbeat, fantastic, or just plain peculiar fact we overlooked, please share it with us so we can include it!

They are called Dutch wives in Japan, thanks to some salt-loving sailors.
Let's start our interesting trivia in the Far East. In Japan, you may encounter sex dolls, but they will not have that name. The Japanese call them Dutch wives. The name originated in the 17th century when Dutch sailors were said to have leather masturbation puppets to keep them warm on cold nights at sea.

This is not as far-fetched as the Dutch were Japan's main trading partners in the 17th century, and the Dutch East India Company set up a store in Hirado, Nagasaki—the Dutch trade in items such as spices and silk. There is no word on whether hand-sewn leather puppets have ever been traded, but they are impressive because you still use the name to refer to sex dolls here today.

You can also go to inflatable doll brothels in Japan.
It is said to be the oldest profession in the world, but now there is a very modern competitor-inflatable doll brothel.

Barbie is not as naive as you think.

Of course, she is today's healthy, American family fun poster girl, but the origin of Barbie dolls is not so sweet and naive. Long before she and Ken lived in a mansion in Malibu, Barbie was a German actress who inspired the creation of male sex dolls.

Before the 1960s, it was illegal to buy inflatable dolls by mail.
The Comstock Act passed by the Grant government in 1873 made it illegal to send items such as contraceptives and sex toys through the United States Postal Service. The law was not repealed until the age of free love, that is, in the 1960s. In 1968, sending inflatable dolls through the United States Postal Service was finally legalized, which meant that inflatable dolls were free to advertise in pornographic magazines for the first time.

Howard Stern had sex with a blow-up doll on live radio.
In the 1990s, American radio host Howard Stern had sex with dolls live, and American mainstream society knew about inflatable dolls for the first time. Stern lived up to his host image, showing a week-long show dedicated to his new toys and claiming that the doll was the best sex he had ever had. "this is the best sex I've ever had," he said. I swear to God. "