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transgender

Tokyu Kabukicho Tower backtracks on its gender-neutral toilets, rejigging them to appease public

New complex in Tokyo refashions its restrooms following public backlash.

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World’s longest trailer shows former SMAP star play a transgender role in new film Midnight Swan

Japanese movie depicts the blossoming mother-daughter friendship between a transgender woman, played by SMAP‘s Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and a neglected teenage girl.

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“Male, female…other?” Japan form-makers consider possible LGBT discrimination in their terminology

For gay, transgender and nonbinary individuals in Japan, filling in forms can be daunting. But how to handle it?

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Another women’s university in Japan to accept transgender women, the first in Kyushu

Another win for transgender rights in Japan.

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We went to a Thai transgender cabaret show in Pattaya for an experience of a lifetime【Pics】

Join us as we take a peek into this stunning cabaret performance.

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Tokyo women’s university will accept transgender students who identify as female, a Japan first

School asserts that it will accept female-identifying students even if they are listed as male on their legal family registry.

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Tokyo school teaches cross-dressing men, transgender individuals to move and speak femininely

Classes include voice training, makeup clinics.

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Chart showing Thailand’s 18 genders challenges the idea that there is only “male” and “female”

Is 18 genders too many? Or too few?

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Elegant new bar and club space especially for crossdressers to open in Tokyo

Girls- and men dressed as girls- just want to have fun, and now they can at Bar☆Onna no Ko Club.

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And now, a transgender Indian version of Pharrell’s “Happy” 【Video】

Dubbed “India’s first transgender band,” the Brooke Bond Red Label 6 Pack Band’s first single shows just how happy the hijra community can get with an Indian-flavored take on the Pharrell Williams hit of 2014.

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Kesho Danshi: Visiting Yushima’s sublime transgender bars

Miya Inoue is the kimono-clad owner of the chain of bars in Tokyo’s Yushima neighborhood operating under the Kesho Danshi brand staffed primarily by transgender women. She also built the interior of the first location herself by hand, drawing on her previous work experience as a carpenter. As the “Big Mama” of Kesho Danshi, Miya spends her time managing the staff at three locations, chatting with customers, and, amazingly, remembering everyone’s name. Oh, and did we mention she’s written an inspiring book about her life?

If you’re looking for good conversation and a fun place to drink in Tokyo, you can’t find a much better place than sitting across the counter from Miya or any of the welcoming staff members. Click below to take a visit to all three of the Kesho Danshi locations and listen in on our chat with “Miya Big Mama” yourself.

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Beauty queen and “too cute to be true” Japanese model Ami Takeuchi released her first idol DVD on May 17 at a handshake and photo event for fans. Takeuchi’s DVD is not only the model’s first – it’s also being touted as the first ever idol DVD by a “new half” – the Japanese term for a trans female.

And at the launch event, Takeuchi spoke of the need for change, and her hope that Japanese society can become a place where it is easier for trans people to come out.

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“Otoko no ko” Satsuki tells her story, explains how Japan’s hospitals aren’t trans-ready

We’ve seen several gender stereotype-destroying otoko no ko (girl-boys) recently, from Kaoru Ishima who models as both a man and a woman, to Nong Poy the stunning transgender Thai actress.

The latest otoko no ko to take the internet by storm is Satsuki, a transgender woman who has a large online following, and has undergone sex reassignment surgery – a rarity in Japan. She blogs about her experience transitioning from a man to a woman, explaining her conflicts with Japan’s medical system, and how she eventually abandoned it altogether.

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Queens of stage and screen: Thailand’s transgender beauty pageant kicks off for 10th year

In many ways, Miss International Queen is just like any other pageant: finalists parade in evening gowns, swimsuits and national dress, and the winner will perform twelve months of promotional and charity duties. There’s one major difference, though: all the contestants are transgender women, and the top prize includes cosmetic surgery for the winner – if she wants it.

As the world’s largest transgender pageant hits the stage in Thailand (where else!) for its 10th anniversary year, we take a look at this unique contest.

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Japan slowly begins to openly discuss crossdressing men in heterosexual relationships

Crossdressing and genderbending are not only long-time staples of Japanese anime and manga, but also of TV and celebrity culture. From this, anyone would think that Japan was one of the most open and accepting countries when it comes to people who don’t fit into traditional gender roles or relationships. However, the reality outside of media and entertainment is often quite different. Family and work life are both still clearly divided down gender lines, and men who engage in anything that blurs or crosses these lines are generally shunned. But could the girl who dumps a guy just because he turns up to a date in a dress be the one who’s really missing out?

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Toyota Japan’s Sexy New Topless Ad Shocks Viewers

A racy new Japanese ad campaign launched for the 2012 Toyota Auris, or Corolla as it’s known in some markets, has been causing a commotion for boldly challenging convention—and probably not in the way you would think.

Have a look at the commercial below.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVwJrAr7GkY?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent&w=580&h=326%5D

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