A volume of essays by international scholars, examining gender fluidity across various Japanese arts and cultural pursuits, including: early writing, poetry, novels, manga, theatre, photography, cinema, television, anime, drag culture and more – encompassing the following categories: Literary Arts, Theatre Arts, Screen Arts and Pop Arts & Culture.
Written in English by scholars bringing perspectives from America, Scotland, The Netherlands, England, Italy, and Japan.
An account of the ‘gendering’ of Japan’s early writing, including the first major work in hiragana, Tosa Nikki, which was written by a man pretending to be a woman. This is a spiritual touchstone for the work that follows in this volume.
Readings of a number of works that straddle the Second World War. Examining developments around this tumultuous period of US influence, national healing and cultural renewal, this chapter draws a line between WWII and the present.
An account of developments in Japanese arts and society that led to what might be defined as ‘the modern era’. Close readings of specific texts, with reference to literature, anime, manga, popular music and international contexts.
Japanese society’s developing attitudes and approaches to transgender issues are brought into focus in close readings of recent novels that challenge their readers' assumptions about parenting.
An account of the female-role (onnagata) in this usually all-male, traditional theatrical form, alongside an examination of changes resulting from modern professional and amateur practices – not least the arrival of ‘ultra kabuki’.
This all-female troupe – developed originally as a result of female bans on the traditional stage (including kabuki) – is now finding that its own male-role (otokoyaku) traditions are being eroded by contemporary practices and politics.
Star of the Shōchiku Girls’ Revue – a Takarazuka rival – this stage performer and early cinema actress developed a new mode of cross-gender representation in trans-war Japan’s entertainment industry – and gained many female fans.
What does it mean to be 'seen’? These contemporary films move representations of transgender people away from the realms of the ‘comic’ or ‘pathological’ and towards more enlightened and understanding modes.
Exploring gender fluid character representations that meet the needs of ardent fans (otaku) of mixed media franchises such as 'Kantai Collection', which spans gaming (PC and RPG), anime, manga and movies.
An interview-based account exploring links between Japanese theatrical cross-dressing cultures, from kabuki and the Takarazuka Revue to cosplay and a contemporary Tokyo drag scene inspired by RuPaul’s Drag Race and Dragula.
An account of women's struggles in a male-dominated medium, with a focus on a contemporary female photographer who creates multi-layered identities that morph through female and male to non-binary and beyond.