Homosexuality in Japan
A paper for English. My partner's working on yaoi. I get the historical aspect of it all. Ok kung magcomment. Wala pa lang akong matinong ending.
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Acceptance of male homosexuality is growing more in our country, as the world comes to terms with the delicate issues surrounding it. Freedom of expression, more so expression of sexuality, has developed during the years, what with male homosexuality being shown in a better light through gay and lesbian organizations, and forms of media, like television, cinema, and literature.
It would come to a surprise to many people though, that Japan has a history of homosexual behavior, and has long been accepting of its gay and lesbian community. One should realize, however, that “homosexuality” as viewed in Japan is different from that of the Western concept of homosexuality, although Japan has been influenced by American and European religion and culture.
In the Japanese society, the sex act has been viewed as a means of pleasure, separate from its place in procreation and morality. With this understanding of sex, people were free to engage in heterosexual and homosexual acts, since they gained pleasure from both. Homosexuality and heterosexuality were only used to describe the acts themselves, and not the people who participated in them. The influence of Western thought changed this in the Meiji Period, when the Japanese peopleÂ’s sexual freedom was suppressed. It was determined that only a certain category of people would engage in certain acts or behavior, that only heterosexuality was normal, and that homosexuality was perverse and did not conform to societyÂ’s moral standards.
The Japanese have many terms to describe love between males, the individuals involved in them, and homoeroticism. There are words to describe general male eroticism (nanshoku), “boy-love” (shounen-ai), male homosexuals (dansei dooseiaisha), transgendered people, transsexuals, transvestites and so on. Some of these terms carry negative connotations, and are therefore limiting in their meaning. Most come to depict male homosexuals as cross-dressing “queens,” which hardly portray male homosexuals correctly. Many homosexual men do not differ from heterosexual men in outward appearance at all. The reason for the misunderstanding is that many Japanese do not view homosexuality only as a lifestyle choice or sexual preference, though now, more Japanese people are grasping this idea, with the introduction of Western views on sexuality.
It would be important to note that religion is where most concerns about sexuality stem from, and where much hostility towards homosexuality originates. Shinto and Buddhism, Japan’s most practiced religions, often practiced in concert, do not regard homosexuality as a sin. Shinto is a creed that teaches harmony, sanctity of human life and nature and respect for people and their individuality. It has no developed theology or sacred scriptures, and thus there are no clear-cut tenets on sexuality, much more homosexuality. They do not consider wrongdoings as “sin”, but as actions which dirty one’s purity, to be cleansed to preserve one’s inner peace. As far as Shinto was concerned, homosexual activity was acceptable as long as it did not disrupt the community, an aspect of human living which the religion also places in high regard.
Mahayana Buddhism in the Japanese context also does not classify deeds as “good” or “evil” by themselves, but by their intention and outcome. This Japanese understanding of Buddhism considered an intention as either “skillful” or “unskillful” in lessening attachment to our world of suffering, which we are born into, according to Mahayana Buddhism. Buddhism did not concern itself with procreation, as it reinforced the cycle of rebirths; however, in Mahayana Buddhism, sex was used as a religious symbol and Japanese Buddhism separated sex from procreation, seeing sex as a good in itself.
The earliest known instances of male homosexuality in Japan were found in Buddhist monasteries, wherein older monks would participate in homosexual acts with younger acolytes (chigo). Though the Buddhist code of discipline prohibited monks from any sexual activity, many monks felt that this did not apply to same-sex relationships. This inspired art and literature centered on the young male ideal and the love which sprang between monks and youths.
One of the reasons for this is that at the time, females were viewed as inferior and “dirty,” and as a result, boys were deemed “beautiful” instead. Also, it was considered only proper that if an older male has true feelings for a younger one, the younger male should respond to him, regardless of the adult’s social status. The monks recognized that an unfulfilled desire presents more problems than the act of giving into it, another possible reason why male love was prevalent at the time.
This depiction of gay love would be seen again in the 1200Â’s, and more pronounced during JapanÂ’s feudal period at around the year 1600 to 1867. This was in the case of samurai, where mutual attraction between older samurai and younger apprentices (wakashudo) were commonplace, as were literature about this type of homoeroticism. In both the cases of Buddhist monks and samurai, these relationships were viewed as sexual and spiritual, but to base relationships only on sexual attraction would diminish the significance of how the lovers could learn from the bond. It was expected that upon the younger loverÂ’s coming-of-age, these bonds would end, with the spiritual friendship persevering. In some instances though, the bond would continue as a love affair, mostly in the case of samurai.
At the start of the Meiji period in 1867, thoughts of “perverse sexuality” entered Japan when it was opened to the world, and Western culture began to influence the country. Homosexual behavior was deemed as against morality, and the practices like those seen in the Buddhist monasteries and samurai classes began to disappear. Clear lines were drawn between heterosexual and homosexual people. Homosexuals were then a target of discrimination, although the harsh treatment of gay people experienced in Europe and the U.S. was not emulated in Japan.
JapanÂ’s defeat in World War II saw many magazines about sex to be published as there was more concern in political rather than sexual issues at the time. These magazines were not separated into heterosexual and homosexual publications, but covered many interests, focused more on erotic content rather than matter concerning lifestyle. At the same time, there was a spread of male prostitutes, and transgendered males were prominent in gay bars and in media.
This is most likely where the common Japanese stereotype of male homosexuals being drag queens comes from – Japan’s entertainment industry. Actors from all-male kabuki theater groups have been acting as women-impersonators (onnagata) since the 1600s, and were held in high esteem. In the television and music industry, many performers can be seen wearing women’s clothing. Drag queens, or okama, have long been a part of bar culture, most often entertaining a heterosexual, mostly male clientele. Except for okama, many cross-dressing entertainers are not gay. Most male performers deem their approach to entertainment as a career choice, unrelated to sexual preference. Yet Japan’s society, having believed in the assignment of proper gender behavior, sees just the opposite. Japanese society has placed much importance on gender roles and gender behavior. The distinction between what is “male” and what is “female” in regards to dress, conduct, and speech is strongly stressed in their society. When a man is seen wearing women’s attire, it is assumed that this is a show of his sexual preference. In Japan’s highly patriarchal system, this form of nonconformity to the moral standards hinders homosexuals and transgendered individuals from being taken seriously.
Many people in Japan still compare homosexuality to what they see in bars and television, but just as there is a lack of knowledge on homosexuality, there is also little homophobia in Japan, enabling Japanese gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals to gain their rights and provide education for their people. This can be seen when a branch of the International Gay and Lesbian Organization was founded in Japan in the mid-1980s. In 1988, OCCUR, a gay and lesbian organization, filed a suit against the Tokyo Metropolitan GovernmentÂ’s Board of Education for prohibiting them from the use of a public facility. They won the case in 1994, the same year the first gay and lesbian parade was held in Tokyo. In 1999, a male pair was the first same-sex couple to be wed with a proper ceremony at a Shinto shrine. In 2001, lesbian and gay rights were included in the Japanese Human Rights Commission. In 2003, transgendered Japanese were allowed to change their sexes and chosen names for use in official documents.
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Acceptance of male homosexuality is growing more in our country, as the world comes to terms with the delicate issues surrounding it. Freedom of expression, more so expression of sexuality, has developed during the years, what with male homosexuality being shown in a better light through gay and lesbian organizations, and forms of media, like television, cinema, and literature.
It would come to a surprise to many people though, that Japan has a history of homosexual behavior, and has long been accepting of its gay and lesbian community. One should realize, however, that “homosexuality” as viewed in Japan is different from that of the Western concept of homosexuality, although Japan has been influenced by American and European religion and culture.
In the Japanese society, the sex act has been viewed as a means of pleasure, separate from its place in procreation and morality. With this understanding of sex, people were free to engage in heterosexual and homosexual acts, since they gained pleasure from both. Homosexuality and heterosexuality were only used to describe the acts themselves, and not the people who participated in them. The influence of Western thought changed this in the Meiji Period, when the Japanese peopleÂ’s sexual freedom was suppressed. It was determined that only a certain category of people would engage in certain acts or behavior, that only heterosexuality was normal, and that homosexuality was perverse and did not conform to societyÂ’s moral standards.
The Japanese have many terms to describe love between males, the individuals involved in them, and homoeroticism. There are words to describe general male eroticism (nanshoku), “boy-love” (shounen-ai), male homosexuals (dansei dooseiaisha), transgendered people, transsexuals, transvestites and so on. Some of these terms carry negative connotations, and are therefore limiting in their meaning. Most come to depict male homosexuals as cross-dressing “queens,” which hardly portray male homosexuals correctly. Many homosexual men do not differ from heterosexual men in outward appearance at all. The reason for the misunderstanding is that many Japanese do not view homosexuality only as a lifestyle choice or sexual preference, though now, more Japanese people are grasping this idea, with the introduction of Western views on sexuality.
It would be important to note that religion is where most concerns about sexuality stem from, and where much hostility towards homosexuality originates. Shinto and Buddhism, Japan’s most practiced religions, often practiced in concert, do not regard homosexuality as a sin. Shinto is a creed that teaches harmony, sanctity of human life and nature and respect for people and their individuality. It has no developed theology or sacred scriptures, and thus there are no clear-cut tenets on sexuality, much more homosexuality. They do not consider wrongdoings as “sin”, but as actions which dirty one’s purity, to be cleansed to preserve one’s inner peace. As far as Shinto was concerned, homosexual activity was acceptable as long as it did not disrupt the community, an aspect of human living which the religion also places in high regard.
Mahayana Buddhism in the Japanese context also does not classify deeds as “good” or “evil” by themselves, but by their intention and outcome. This Japanese understanding of Buddhism considered an intention as either “skillful” or “unskillful” in lessening attachment to our world of suffering, which we are born into, according to Mahayana Buddhism. Buddhism did not concern itself with procreation, as it reinforced the cycle of rebirths; however, in Mahayana Buddhism, sex was used as a religious symbol and Japanese Buddhism separated sex from procreation, seeing sex as a good in itself.
The earliest known instances of male homosexuality in Japan were found in Buddhist monasteries, wherein older monks would participate in homosexual acts with younger acolytes (chigo). Though the Buddhist code of discipline prohibited monks from any sexual activity, many monks felt that this did not apply to same-sex relationships. This inspired art and literature centered on the young male ideal and the love which sprang between monks and youths.
One of the reasons for this is that at the time, females were viewed as inferior and “dirty,” and as a result, boys were deemed “beautiful” instead. Also, it was considered only proper that if an older male has true feelings for a younger one, the younger male should respond to him, regardless of the adult’s social status. The monks recognized that an unfulfilled desire presents more problems than the act of giving into it, another possible reason why male love was prevalent at the time.
This depiction of gay love would be seen again in the 1200Â’s, and more pronounced during JapanÂ’s feudal period at around the year 1600 to 1867. This was in the case of samurai, where mutual attraction between older samurai and younger apprentices (wakashudo) were commonplace, as were literature about this type of homoeroticism. In both the cases of Buddhist monks and samurai, these relationships were viewed as sexual and spiritual, but to base relationships only on sexual attraction would diminish the significance of how the lovers could learn from the bond. It was expected that upon the younger loverÂ’s coming-of-age, these bonds would end, with the spiritual friendship persevering. In some instances though, the bond would continue as a love affair, mostly in the case of samurai.
At the start of the Meiji period in 1867, thoughts of “perverse sexuality” entered Japan when it was opened to the world, and Western culture began to influence the country. Homosexual behavior was deemed as against morality, and the practices like those seen in the Buddhist monasteries and samurai classes began to disappear. Clear lines were drawn between heterosexual and homosexual people. Homosexuals were then a target of discrimination, although the harsh treatment of gay people experienced in Europe and the U.S. was not emulated in Japan.
JapanÂ’s defeat in World War II saw many magazines about sex to be published as there was more concern in political rather than sexual issues at the time. These magazines were not separated into heterosexual and homosexual publications, but covered many interests, focused more on erotic content rather than matter concerning lifestyle. At the same time, there was a spread of male prostitutes, and transgendered males were prominent in gay bars and in media.
This is most likely where the common Japanese stereotype of male homosexuals being drag queens comes from – Japan’s entertainment industry. Actors from all-male kabuki theater groups have been acting as women-impersonators (onnagata) since the 1600s, and were held in high esteem. In the television and music industry, many performers can be seen wearing women’s clothing. Drag queens, or okama, have long been a part of bar culture, most often entertaining a heterosexual, mostly male clientele. Except for okama, many cross-dressing entertainers are not gay. Most male performers deem their approach to entertainment as a career choice, unrelated to sexual preference. Yet Japan’s society, having believed in the assignment of proper gender behavior, sees just the opposite. Japanese society has placed much importance on gender roles and gender behavior. The distinction between what is “male” and what is “female” in regards to dress, conduct, and speech is strongly stressed in their society. When a man is seen wearing women’s attire, it is assumed that this is a show of his sexual preference. In Japan’s highly patriarchal system, this form of nonconformity to the moral standards hinders homosexuals and transgendered individuals from being taken seriously.
Many people in Japan still compare homosexuality to what they see in bars and television, but just as there is a lack of knowledge on homosexuality, there is also little homophobia in Japan, enabling Japanese gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals to gain their rights and provide education for their people. This can be seen when a branch of the International Gay and Lesbian Organization was founded in Japan in the mid-1980s. In 1988, OCCUR, a gay and lesbian organization, filed a suit against the Tokyo Metropolitan GovernmentÂ’s Board of Education for prohibiting them from the use of a public facility. They won the case in 1994, the same year the first gay and lesbian parade was held in Tokyo. In 1999, a male pair was the first same-sex couple to be wed with a proper ceremony at a Shinto shrine. In 2001, lesbian and gay rights were included in the Japanese Human Rights Commission. In 2003, transgendered Japanese were allowed to change their sexes and chosen names for use in official documents.
Page created: January 13th 2005 09:32 PM