Introduction: queer lives in contemporary Japan

Abstract

This introduction aims to situate four research articles on “Queer Lives in Contemporary Japan” in the larger field of gender and sexuality studies. It argues that, historically, the concepts “queer” or “transgender” are not particularly novel. Early twentieth-century progressives in Japan observed and sought social acceptance and suggested that individuals thought of as “sexually abnormal” would one day outnumber single-sex/gender men and women. Yet, the Japan story is more complicated and contradictory than the notion of a neat progression from the 1920s to our own moment would suggest. It also has more local and cultural flavor than the increasingly global sexual rights struggle might indicate. Ultimately, the introduction highlights the significant self-conscious individualism and self-determination a broad range of individuals bring to bear in order to pursue the increasing normalization of queer lives.