Sex in Japan
Sep. 11th, 2017 04:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
joezuRecently, I had the privilege of seeing an advance screening of Boys for Sale, a documentary about male prostitution in modern day Japan, particularly that by men in their early 20s, nearly all of whom are straight. The film certainly raised a lot of questions about sex and sexuality in Japan, although one must keep in mind the opinions expressed in the film by these somewhat unworldly young men may not express the opinions of the average Japanese person or of those in different demographics (e.g., LGBTs, older people, women).
What stood out the most for me was the difference in attitudes about sex in America and Japan. Despite America's often puritanical and juvenile attitude about sex, not to mention some of the violent homophobia that occurs, there are household names such as Dr. Ruth and Dan Savage who discuss sexuality on TV or in newspaper columns. Bookstores like Barnes & Noble have whole sections dedicated to human sexuality and one can find, in blogs, podcasts, and even on YouTube, just about anything there is to know about sex, pregnancy, STIs, kinks, and so on.
Japan, on the other hand, seems to have been a sexually progressive society until Commodore Perry showed up in 1852 and forced Japan to open its shores to trade with the West. Japan, fearing it looked "primitive" to Western countries and thus not to be taken seriously in international politics and trade, began toning down its mores regarding prostitution and non-heteronormative sexuality. Today in Japan there is a strange mix of fertility festivals where giant penises are paraded through the streets and penis-shaped food is sold, while artist Megumi Igarashi (aka Rokudenashiko, “Good For Nothing Girl”) was recently arrested and charged with obscenity when she made a working canoe in the shape of her vulva. There are "love hotels" where guests can rent a room by the hour and which can be found in the middle of the most upscale neighborhoods in Tokyo, and “Soaplands”, a sort of Turkish bath, usually where women bathe men. There are activists like Akihiro Miwa, an openly gay singer, author, and drag queen, but also Masaki Sumitami, a straight comedian whose flamboyant yet hypermasculine alter-ego “Hard Gay” has generated considerable debate whether he is merely good-natured parody or offensive. There are erotic manga, comic books that go far beyond, both artistically and in imagination, what you see in Western erotic art, as well as porn magazines and videos which, even today, are required by law to blur the genitalia.
Despite all of this, some of the young men in Boys For Sale demonstrate a lack of basic knowledge about sexuality. One of them marvels that older men can be sexually active. Another believes a soapy shower is enough to eliminate the risk of catching STIs. I’m not saying one culture or the other is better or worse, I’m just struck by the differences.
Thanks to producer Ian Thomas Ash for making the advance screening of Boys for Sale available to me, and thanks to our mutual friend "A" for putting me in touch with him. Ironically, the film will be appearing at the Palm Springs LGBTQ Film Festival while I'll be in Japan. I'm leaving tomorrow, as a matter of fact, for four weeks. Some of the trip is for sightseeing and shopping and finally meeting some penpals of mine, one of whom I've been corresponding with for about ten years but we've yet to met. I also hope to meet members of the LGBT community as well, both for play and to try to learn more about sexuality in Japan. Besides my interest in interviewing patrons of gay bars in Japan in the 1960s, I'm curious to know what daily life is like for LGBTs. Are some able to be openly gay in a culture like Japan's, either to families, friends, or at work? Do they entertain the possibility of marriage? Are kinks generally regarded as an aberration or is there a healthy, affirming BDSM community? Homophobia in Japan may be less violent and the hatred not so outright as in America, but my impression is being LGBT is still treated like a isolating, dirty little secret.
Boys for Sale will screen at the Palm Springs LGBTQ Film Festival on September 22, 2017.
Trailer * Website * Twitter
What stood out the most for me was the difference in attitudes about sex in America and Japan. Despite America's often puritanical and juvenile attitude about sex, not to mention some of the violent homophobia that occurs, there are household names such as Dr. Ruth and Dan Savage who discuss sexuality on TV or in newspaper columns. Bookstores like Barnes & Noble have whole sections dedicated to human sexuality and one can find, in blogs, podcasts, and even on YouTube, just about anything there is to know about sex, pregnancy, STIs, kinks, and so on.
Japan, on the other hand, seems to have been a sexually progressive society until Commodore Perry showed up in 1852 and forced Japan to open its shores to trade with the West. Japan, fearing it looked "primitive" to Western countries and thus not to be taken seriously in international politics and trade, began toning down its mores regarding prostitution and non-heteronormative sexuality. Today in Japan there is a strange mix of fertility festivals where giant penises are paraded through the streets and penis-shaped food is sold, while artist Megumi Igarashi (aka Rokudenashiko, “Good For Nothing Girl”) was recently arrested and charged with obscenity when she made a working canoe in the shape of her vulva. There are "love hotels" where guests can rent a room by the hour and which can be found in the middle of the most upscale neighborhoods in Tokyo, and “Soaplands”, a sort of Turkish bath, usually where women bathe men. There are activists like Akihiro Miwa, an openly gay singer, author, and drag queen, but also Masaki Sumitami, a straight comedian whose flamboyant yet hypermasculine alter-ego “Hard Gay” has generated considerable debate whether he is merely good-natured parody or offensive. There are erotic manga, comic books that go far beyond, both artistically and in imagination, what you see in Western erotic art, as well as porn magazines and videos which, even today, are required by law to blur the genitalia.
Despite all of this, some of the young men in Boys For Sale demonstrate a lack of basic knowledge about sexuality. One of them marvels that older men can be sexually active. Another believes a soapy shower is enough to eliminate the risk of catching STIs. I’m not saying one culture or the other is better or worse, I’m just struck by the differences.
Thanks to producer Ian Thomas Ash for making the advance screening of Boys for Sale available to me, and thanks to our mutual friend "A" for putting me in touch with him. Ironically, the film will be appearing at the Palm Springs LGBTQ Film Festival while I'll be in Japan. I'm leaving tomorrow, as a matter of fact, for four weeks. Some of the trip is for sightseeing and shopping and finally meeting some penpals of mine, one of whom I've been corresponding with for about ten years but we've yet to met. I also hope to meet members of the LGBT community as well, both for play and to try to learn more about sexuality in Japan. Besides my interest in interviewing patrons of gay bars in Japan in the 1960s, I'm curious to know what daily life is like for LGBTs. Are some able to be openly gay in a culture like Japan's, either to families, friends, or at work? Do they entertain the possibility of marriage? Are kinks generally regarded as an aberration or is there a healthy, affirming BDSM community? Homophobia in Japan may be less violent and the hatred not so outright as in America, but my impression is being LGBT is still treated like a isolating, dirty little secret.
Boys for Sale will screen at the Palm Springs LGBTQ Film Festival on September 22, 2017.
Trailer * Website * Twitter
