How the loud-and-proud Fab Five were able to find success in a country that lags behind others when it comes to LGBTQ issues.
gay
The new ad will bring tears to your eyes while revealing some interesting statistics about Japanese society.
Boys’ Love (BL) is a genre of fiction in Japan, usually taking the form of manga and anime, that depicts men in romantic relationships with one another. These homosexual stories are generally produced by and for women who want to fangirl over impossibly beautiful men getting frisky with each other.
Like with the maid cafes that cater to male otaku in Akihabara, it was only a matter of time until fictional fantasies started spilling over into the real world. My fellow reporter, Evie, and I went to visit a BL cafe near Otome Road in Ikebukuro, an area filled with stores catering to female otaku and fujoshi.
Good news today for supporters of same-sex marriage in Japan! Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward is moving towards administering marriage certificates for same-sex couples. If the proposed plan is enacted, it would take effect on April 1 this year, making Shibuya the first ward in Japan to recognize same-sex marriage.
Recently a Japanese TV program highlighted an interesting bit of historical trivia: The most common type of revenge killing in the Edo period was between gay lovers. It’s a statistic that shocked many viewers in modern Japan, but there is ample evidence to support that a whole lot of gay sex was going on in the country from between 1400 and 1900.
It was at first a playful fancy of the ruling classes but then grew into a cold yet efficiently run military system of battlefield man-pleasuring. However, as we can see from the previously mentioned little factoid, once guys start letting emotions get involved, the whole thing starts to fall apart.
Gay marriage is still not legal in Japan, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t options for LGBT couples dreaming of tying the knot in Nippon. Joining big venues like Tokyo Disneyland, an ancient Zen temple in the picturesque city of Kyoto is offering gay weddings in traditional Japanese style.
MOST POPULAR
Now
Kyoto Whopper divides customers at Burger King Japan
Taking the Kyoto overnight bus for the first time
Starbucks Japan unveils second Holiday Frappuccino for 2024
Japan’s caramel gacha machines offer sweet thrills, but do they deliver?
Japanese burger chain no longer serves onion rings, but offers intriguing replacement【Taste test】
Forbidden area at Japanese mountaintop shrine opens to the public for first time in 400 years
Hello Kitty isn’t a cat!? We called Sanrio to find out!
Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke teams up with Foxfire for outdoor apparel collaboration【Photos】
New card game makes Japan’s saunas even steamier
How to properly pronounce “Ghibli” and other fun trivia about the legendary animation studio
Weekly
One of Japan’s most beautiful hot spring towns announces new limits on number of day trippers- Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke teams up with Foxfire for outdoor apparel collaboration【Photos】
Berserk T-shirts coming to Uniqlo for launch of new Manga Curation line【Photos】
Mario Kart Happy Meal toys arrive at McDonald’s Japan, and SoraNews24 has the whole set!【Photos】
After cancelling Halloween, Tokyo’s Shibuya neighborhood cancels New Year’s Eve too
Tokyo park’s sea of clouds, nighttime illumination, and cosplay days make now perfect time to visit
Samurai ritual suicide contest cancelled by organizer in west Japan
Japanese job-quitting service contacted by other job-quitting service because employee wants to quit
Flying dango: Unique tourist site where Japanese sweets are flown to you over a gorge
American jackass tourist arrested after carving name into gate at Tokyo’s Meiji Shrine【Video】
Monthly
Nintendo’s controller capsule toys are so cool, even the machine you buy them from is awesome【Pics】- One of Japan’s most beautiful hot spring towns announces new limits on number of day trippers
Tokyo Disneyland loses top-attendance crown for Japanese theme parks for second year in a row- Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke teams up with Foxfire for outdoor apparel collaboration【Photos】
Ghibli Park debuts first winter illumination display with Howl’s Moving Castle theme
Pringles releases a limited-edition sweet flavour in Japan
Sanrio and magical girl anime PreCure join forces for new merch line【Photos】- Japanese job-quitting service contacted by other job-quitting service because employee wants to quit
- After cancelling Halloween, Tokyo’s Shibuya neighborhood cancels New Year’s Eve too
What’s the deal with akebi, the perfectly purple, alien-like fruit that’s in season now in Japan?
Yearly
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Foreign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengers
[Deleted] Article written for April Fool’s Day 2018
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950s
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label design
Japanese convenience store Family Mart announces abolishment of eat-in spaces
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Life-size vibrating Legend of Zelda Master Sword for sale from Nintendo【Photos】
Studio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading Japanese
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Forbidden area at Japanese mountaintop shrine opens to the public for first time in 400 years
Hello Kitty isn’t a cat!? We called Sanrio to find out!
Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke teams up with Foxfire for outdoor apparel collaboration【Photos】
New card game makes Japan’s saunas even steamier
How to properly pronounce “Ghibli” and other fun trivia about the legendary animation studio
New product aimed at Japanese women and cosplayers helps to create a slimmer, taller nose
Japan’s new difficult-to-drink-from beer glass protects your liver, but it’s a brutal experience
Japanese department store rooftop is a secret oasis where you can escape the crowds in Tokyo
Made In Japan Fender Limited Edition Hello Kitty Stratocaster now on sale in Japan
Yakuza vending machines coming to real-world Tokyo neighborhood that inspired Like a Dragon games
Katsu weight showdown! Which Japanese supermarket gives you the most tonkatsu meat for your yen?
The 5 best Japanese bento to buy at Kyoto Station
-
