[Sailordolly]

(Well, I DID live in Tokyo 1999-2004 for my undergrad studies . . . ^_- )

I think the rape thing may be because the stereotypical Japanese guy is pushed by society to be what Americans would call "wishy-washy"--i.e. to conform to the group, don't make waves, don't grab for attention, don't be too assertive or aggressive. This makes rape fantasies something of a power trip for them. On the female side, Japan still hasn't experienced the full force of women's lib, so the social pressure on women is to pretend not to desire sex, etc. Thus, girls often fantasize about the guy being in control.