What does Turning Japonese mean?

I know the song is about masturbating but I was wondering specifically about the phrase "I think i'm turning Japonese." I was reading up and most logical explaination was that when a guy is about to cum he may squeeze his eyes closed or just kind of squint making his eyes narrow like a Japonese persons. Do any of you know if thats true or what do you think it is?

Actually the song isn't about mabterbating at all! From the mouth Dave Fenton him self:
"Turning Japanese" is not about masterbation, it is not a British slang term for masterbation and it is not a racist statement."

Most of Fenton's songs dealt with angst and separation, and "Turning Japanese" was a sort of love song(?). They went to high school in LA during the early/mid '80s, they had a different perspective on the song. There were Japanese tourists seen everywhere around Los Angeles, and they ALWAYS had one thing with them: an expensive 35mm camera and used it at every opportunity. The song apparently was about a guy in prison obcessing over a picture(s) and therefore becoming Japanese. Just a bad propogation of a stereotype.
*I can still see how it can be misinterpreted for materbation! 😉

it's come to mean masturbation though

Funnily enough, I remember when it was first a hit, and we all knew it was about masturbation before anyone said it was... turning Japanese was definitely a slang term for it when I was younger.... before th song came out...and i seem to remember the singer confessing such at the time.... although he may have just said that to get sales....

I've heard that he at times said it was about masturbating and at times he said it wasn't all depending on his mood. I've also heard something about it being about masturbating in prison. I guess we'll never know since his answer switched back and forth.

Well, some ppl understood that the song "Turning Japanese" was about Japanese products. Like for an example:

"I'm going to buy me a Sony walk man, then buy me an Atari, after that I'll have some Sushi, then I'm going to drive my Toyota around town. I'm turning Japanese."

It was the 80's so it wasn't all about masturbating.

Also, I just recently thought of this topic because of the song being on a top 20 list in a recent Maxim magazine under "Top 20 all time songs about Masturbation" (BTW: several of them are from the 80s)
Hmmm... idea for new topic 😄.

The thing is, it can be percieved as being about masterbation and then people will vote for it cause that's what they think it's about. It still doesn't prove that it DEFINITELY was about it. I do believe there are songs from the 80' about masterbation, but ya kno it's all interpretation! Whether they lyracist meant for it to be about masterbation I don't kno?