sexual desire; awakening of sexual feelings
Literary or clinical term for the onset of sexual desire, especially associated with puberty. Most often encountered in the compound 春機発動期 (しゅんきはつどうき), meaning 'age of puberty' or 'sexual awakening'.
See also: 春機発動期
The term 春機発動期 is found in old physiology textbooks.
In this novel, the protagonist's awakening sexual desire is delicately portrayed.
puberty
Compound of 春 (spring, youth) and 機 (mechanism, opportunity), suggesting the 'mechanism of spring' as a metaphor for the awakening of sexual feelings in youth. The exact historical origin is uncertain.