Gay in japanese culture
Our gay friend Shintaro from Tokyo tells us what gay life in Japan is like from his perspective in this fascinating interview.
We love Japan. We've been fortunate to stop by several times. Each period we leave, we speak sayonara with a powerful thirst to return for more!
As a gay couple traveling in Japan, we've always felt extremely welcome, everywhere, never receiving any judgment or raised eyebrows. To our foreign eyes, Japan feels like you've taken a time machine into the future. Everything is so much more advanced here, so immaculate, so impeccable, where trains arrive/leave on time, correct to the second!
And the Japanese themselves? Good, they're just the icing on top – you couldn't ask for a more welcoming and respectful nation. Everything is successfully received with a pleasant, warm smile and a humble bow.
But as we said, that's through our superficial perspective as gay travelers visiting. What's the reality like for the Japanese LGBTQ community? We often hear that whilst the Japanese are very welcoming to lgbtq+ foreigners, on a local level, the country is very conservative when it comes to LGBTQ rights.
One of our best friends in Japan is the amiable Shintaro, a fabu
Queerness and gender fluidity permeate the landscape of Japanese culture, from BL manga to onnagata in Kabuki theater (male actors who play female roles). Additionally, sexual acts among males were common in ancient Japan and a major cultural feature in the Edo period. Japan was open-minded and even, in some cases, enthusiastic about same-sex relations up until Japan opened its borders in 1859, when Japan began to adopt repressive, Victorian-era attitudes towards sexuality in response to Western influence. Though Japan’s current political stance on queerness leaves much to be desired, Japan has a surprisingly rich history colored by a generally positive outlook on sex and sexuality.
From sex between male monks to 17th century erotica, Japan’s queer history might surprise you.
5. Buddhist Monks Tolerated Homosexual Relations
In general, attitudes in promptly Japan towards sexuality were free and permissive. As Louis Crompton notes in Homosexuality and Civilization, “Shintoism… had no special code of morals and seems to have regarded sex as a natural phenomenon to be enjoyed with few inhibitions.” When Buddhism arrived in Japan in the seventh century, it did so against the
Travelling the world and exploring different cultures is more entertainment for me when I see through my Brown Lgbtq+ lens, looking to explore how homosexual people are treated in different parts of the globe. Some stereotypes are on point, while others completely misplaced and what enhanced way to disagree them than by taking to the streets of a new city and exploring what lurks behind the scenes.
My recent call on to Tokyo gave me one such opportunity. At the outset, I hold to acknowledge that Tokyo is, thus far, my favorite favorite destination. The city is astonishing in all respects: a perfect combine of modernity and culture, rich tradition of ancient worship (not of gods or idols, but real people) and just the innate cultured sensibility of the Japanese people. I was honestly floored. I decided to rent a room in Shinjuku, a central neighbourhood of the municipality, which most forums opined was walking distance to all the queer hangouts. Mind you, there is no authentic ‘Gay Village’ in Tokyo. I ponder even in North America the thought of the Lgbtq+ Village has evolved considerably, but for a city appreciate Tokyo, there are just sporadic display out places, bars, restos that cater to the group. I had done some rese
Special Edition Japan: A Gay Travel Guide Through History and Modern Trends
As always, QMagazine delivers a collector’s issue with the history of Diverse culture in Japan in all its facets, from samurai to monks, up to the present morning. Urban inclinations of customs have their roots in a past to be transgressed, but also reminded. Accurate guides of Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, as successfully as fashions and trends that developed in this wonderful country from the world of geishas to harajuku girls. References to TV series are not missing and, above all, to LGBTQ+ manga and anime, with real myths exported around the earth. Candor and intimacy, in the photos shot during the journey across the country.
Want to learn more? Download the magazine: https://bit.ly/3V5lPi8
Gay-friendly tour of Japan
Embark on a gay-friendly tour of Japan, the Empire of the Rising Sun, where simplicity and a center on nature are key elements. Japan’s culture embraces harmony over individualism and has a history of tolerance toward homosexuality. The Samurai culture, for instance, never viewed homosexuality as sinful, with practices favor Shudo—homosexual relationships—once considered the purest fo
The Homosexual of the Samurai All About Homosexuality, Buddhist Monks, Samurai, and The Tokugawa Middle Class
Remember the popular scene in The Last Samurai where Ken Watanabe and Tom Cruise make sweet, tender love? You don’t? Well, perhaps if the story had been more rooted in reality we could have seen that happen.
As it turns out, pre-modern Japan was exceptionally accepting, even encouraging, of male homosexuality and bisexuality. Much like that moment we found out that bushido is actually modern-day made-up bullshit, this might surprise you. To be honest, it surprised me, too. I came upon this information while researching an article (still to come) about the current state of the LGBT community in Japan.