The transgender community does not get much mainstream attention in Japan as elsewhere, perhaps with the exception of Matsuko Deluxe, and the major debates over pronouns and gender definitions have not dominated public discourse in the same way as they have in other countries. Nonetheless, transgender sexuality has a long and vibrant history in Japanese culture, and the rights and needs of trans people need to be heard. Whether out of genuine agreement with this sentiment or out of woke cynicism that spotted a marketing opportunity, Pantene recently showcased the problems that transgender ...

When it comes to gender, Japan does things differently. That guy may well be a girl, and that girl may well be a guy. Androgyny is a firmly established aspect of beauty and fashion. Indeterminate gender is sexy and alluring. Deception, the other hand, is just plain annoying. Cosplayer Rei Dunois is known for a penchant for Evangelion and MCU, and for incredible character transformations. He has built up a significant fanbase -- to the tune of over 60,000 followers on social media. We write "he" because we now know the truth, though you would be forgiven for misunderstanding if you saw ...

Seeing is believing -- or is it? This makeup video tutorial shows that there really is more to things than meets the eye... At least, when that eye is restricted to a YouTube video. A middle-aged (or self-professed middle-aged-looking) man who goes by the online name of Himeni has revealed not only his extraordinary makeup skills but also how easy it is to be deceived by visuals alone. In the much-shared video, he showcases his cosmetic talents and goes from ordinary guy to cute young Japanese woman, just like the ones you might see on the streets of Harajuku or Ikebukuro in their ...

What is it about (certain) Japanese guys that seemingly makes them want to dress up as girls at any opportunity? The music video for Gen Hoshino's latest single, Family Song, casts "him" in drag while only the other day we blogged about the deceptively feminine charms of one male high schooler? Okay, Kabuki, lack of Victorian-era binaries, yada yada. Let's not try to come up with an anthropological mumbo jumbo answer for this. But it begs the question: are we witnessing an exciting surge in agender identity in Japan? From clothes to toilets, genderlessness is definitely growing in ...