MASOCHISM in all its forms has challenged psychoanalytic theories of d
evelopment and treatment since Freud (1905, 1919, 1924). It might appe
ar paradoxical to present a concept of normal masochism while masochis
m has been considered to be so pathological, but I have proposed this
concept (Nakakuki 1982, 1984) as a part of normal mental functioning t
hrough my experience and study of ''traditional'' Japanese culture, wh
ich I believe contains the features of normal masochism. It is normal
in that it represents Japanese adaptation to their cultural orientatio
n and expectations.