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Where can I find Japanese LGBT contacts? 2015/8/15 07:57
Hi, so I am a lesbian and will be teaching in Japan next summer for a college program. I am not going to be out to my students. While I am there I am hoping to do some research for my PhD and hopefully make Japanese LGBT friendly contacts while I am there. I'm not opposed to meeting other Americans but would prefer Japanese contacts to answer specific questions pertaining to my research which is focused on Japanese culture and subcultures. In short, I want to make Japanese LGBT friends that I can relate to and who would be able to show me around. What would be a good resource? Any help or suggestions would be most appreciated!
by KY Scholar (guest)  

Re: Where can I find Japanese LGBT contacts? 2015/8/17 12:21
From what I have seen, LGBT people are few and far between in Japan. Certainly they do exist, but I have never met any personally. But then again, I haven't been living in one of the massive cities in Japan, so maybe that's why. Probably the closest thing I ever came across were a few middle-aged cross dressers in Osaka. Maybe if you saw one, you could talk to them? They stand out in a crowd, so you shouldn't have any problem spotting them.

I have to ask though, why do people's sexual orientations even matter here? I can't imagine asking for a heterosexual guide going over too well, so why this?
by Intrigue (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Where can I find Japanese LGBT contacts? 2015/8/17 22:54
Because heterosexuals are usually the majority and people don't have to ask or be questioned. I don't want to be asked if I have a boyfriend or be made to feel that I am doing something wrong -- which I know the Japanese don't persecute people for being LGBT but still. Also, I want to be able to have a conversation and feel comfortable talking. I am studying cultures and subcultures and want myself and the people I am talking to to be comfortable with me and questions comparing our cultures and so on.
by KY Scholar (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Where can I find Japanese LGBT contacts? 2015/8/18 00:30
Hmmm..... how to word this correctly....

When considering different cultures, you need to consider the general structure of society itself. Even though the following is a generalisation and each person is different - I do think it holds true for many people in Japan.

For Japan - they have a different view of sexuality in general. For us in western cultures, we have the taboo of sex being dirty or for procreation due to our judeo/christian values. North asia is very different and has a emphasis on sex being a human need like drinking or breathing - thus reducing the stigma related to it.

As such - many Japanese have the 'if it doesn't hurt me then what you do in your private time is that - private and does not affect me". Due to this - it's much harder to find the LGBT community as they don't say 'here I am' as it's just seen as another part of a person's individuality.

That does not mean that there are not problems - but this may be around family which is the same the world over.

The only reason I went on this tangent is we often box things in the west as the same everywhere. I kind of see sexuality in Japan the same as the Japanese number system - it makes sense but it's just different than what we are used to in the west.

People may ask if you are married in Japan - but it's the same as asking how old you are or where you are from. It's just a conversation starter. As such - I would possibly frown away as seeing it as 'a right' not to be asked if you have a boyfriend.

When you are in Japan - inquire about LGBT support or awareness groups which can often be found possibly through english help groups often offered by local governments to help foreigners amalgamate into the general community.

Some people may have some general contacts but without at least stating a prefecture I doubt that you will get many bites. Also remember that English ability will severely limit your accessibility to interview and become good friends with people in the greater LGBT community - but this is also the same for other communities such as the 'otaku' community or even train watchers.

Apologies if this comes across as a little abrasive - I've just currently moved to another country and quite a few westerners (which I am as well) get highly strung about things not being the same as at home. As such - I'm a little more touchy than normal about people putting things into boxes and look a bit deeper into the culture which cannot really be achieved until you are here on the ground.

Good luck with the research and I wish you the best.
by mfedley rate this post as useful

Re: Where can I find Japanese LGBT contacts? 2015/8/18 09:51
It will depend where you will be living. There is certainly a culture in Tokyo - during my time there I met a few people from the LGBT community through a friend. Unfortunately I don't know any groups of anything, but I quick Google search came up with this site.

http://stonewall.ajet.net/

It could be a good place to start.
by Shigoto Now (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Where can I find Japanese LGBT contacts? 2015/8/21 01:12
For Japan - they have a different view of sexuality in general. For us in western cultures, we have the taboo of sex being dirty or for procreation due to our judeo/christian values. North asia is very different and has a emphasis on sex being a human need like drinking or breathing - thus reducing the stigma related to it.

As such - many Japanese have the 'if it doesn't hurt me then what you do in your private time is that - private and does not affect me". Due to this - it's much harder to find the LGBT community as they don't say 'here I am' as it's just seen as another part of a person's individuality.

That does not mean that there are not problems - but this may be around family which is the same the world over.


Although I can tell you trying to be helpful, you really don't seem to be very familiar with LGBT issues in Japan, and I would say that in many cases the opposite of some of the things you have said are more accurate. I will try to keep it as short as possible, but I think it could cause problems if the OP accepts what you have said.

What you have said about Asian society's views on sexuality is a massive simplification. Japanese society has been heavily influenced by Buddhism, of which the core teachings state that attachment to desires such as sex are the root of suffering, and Confucianism, which places heavy importance in family and order in society. I'm not an academic who has conducted research into this, so I'm not going to make concrete claims about this, but it's inaccurate to say that homosexuality had not been stigmatized in Japan, and there are many, and different problems that LGBT people in Japan face compared to LGBT people on western countries, and not just around family, as many Japanese LGBT people hide their sexuality from their family.

I've seen several surveys that show LGBT acceptance in Japan being lower compared to the west. I tried looking for one as an example, and it found that 54% of the Japanese people questioned felt that society should accept homosexuality, which drops to 38% for people over 50. I think the fact that this rate is lower compared to many western countries (although very high compared to the rest of Asia), and there is a generational difference, suggesting changing attitudes, contradicts what you said about people's sexuality being considered something private that doesn't affect other people.

One claim that many people who have written about LGBT issues in Japan have made, which many of the the Japanese LGBT I've met have agreed with, it's that their sexuality is tolerated as long as it's kept private. For this reason, many LGBT in major urban areas socialise with other LGBT people discreetly. Personally I would say the OP hasn't made any inaccurate assumptions about LGBT in Japan. In Tokyo and Osaka, there are a number of Lesbian bars, and I have personally met a number of Lesbian that have several Lesbian friends and go to lesbian events in order to find a partner. It's very easy to find the LGBT community, as long as you're in a major urban area and know where to find them.

I can't speak for Lesbians, and although it's not going to be particularly relevant to the OP, I feel that I should address the claims you made about Japanese people seeing their sexuality as just one part of their individuality. I would say that for gay men, it's far more likely that a western man would see his sexuality as a minor part of their identity, whereas for Japanese gay men, they're more likely to hide their sexuality outside of the gay scene due to social pressure, which I personally believe has led to there being an identity many consider inseparable from a gay man's sexuality. There is a stereotype amongst gay men known as Ikanimo, which describes someone who you can immediately tell is gay due to their dress and appearance, which is generally bearded, muscular or chubby, and wearing brands popular amongst gay men, such as Abercombrie and Fitch. Men who don't match this image are called nonkeppoi, meaning like a heterosexual. It's important to note that this is a stereotype defined by gay men, and is something that's generally celebrated as a unique part of gay culture, whereas in countries where gay men are more accepted, stereotype are generally considered inaccurate and harmful. I personally believe that Ikanimo developed out of people within a small scene that's often closed off from the rest of society influencing people's fashion and appearance, and as a way to discreetly express and communicate ones sexuality. Gay men in Western countries generally feel that they can be more open, so many are not influenced heavily by a one single clubbing scene, or feel the need to express their sexuality in a way that most people are oblivious to. I don't believe there is a lesbian equivalent though.

The only reason I went on this tangent is we often box things in the west as the same everywhere. I kind of see sexuality in Japan the same as the Japanese number system - it makes sense but it's just different than what we are used to in the west.

Personally, I would say most of the Japanese LGBT people I have met don't view their own sexuality in a wildly different way to most western LGBT people, but many do however feel that they can't be as open about it, and in the case of gay men, they do have certain fashions and trends that are considered unique to the gay scene. There are people who engage in gay sex, but don't consider themselves to be gay, or even bisexual, and are often married, but this is nothing unique to Japan. There have been plenty of LGBT in the west doing this, and there are still plenty now, despite the increase in acceptability. From my experience with meeting Japanese LGBT, I would say that they main difference between the LGBT scene in Japan and western countries is that it's much less open in Japan, and is probably comparable to how it was in the west 30 years ago or more, and that people in Japan who are not accepting basically pretend that the LGBT scene doesn't exist as long as they don't encounter it. People are slowly becoming more accepting, and things are likely to change just as all society's do, but many people would say this is generally the case.

People may ask if you are married in Japan - but it's the same as asking how old you are or where you are from. It's just a conversation starter. As such - I would possibly frown away as seeing it as 'a right' not to be asked if you have a boyfriend.

Sorry, but this is basically the standard "Japan is not America" answer that many people give, which doesn't offer any helpful advice. It's quite easy to understand why the OP could get frustrated by this. Sure, it is just used as small talk, and intended as a harmless question, but answering any follow-up questions honestly could be seen as being too brash. My advice to the OP, is that many Lesbians or gay people would answer such questions by saying "Iie, sonnani kyoumi ga arimasen", which means no, I don't really have much of an interest. Although being very frank about your sexuality isn't always accepted, speaking about it in such an ambiguous way is generally fine, and anyone who would have a problem with you being a lesbian would generally prefer to remain ignorant about what you're trying to tell then.

@OP. As others have mentioned, it's going to be difficult for you to meet many Japanese LGBT people if you can't speak and write in Japanese. Stonewall Japan does seem to be a good resource for English speakers, but it seems to be almost entirely foreign. If you want to meet Japanese people, that will probably be difficult to do until you arrive in Japan. There are a number of community sites that have female contributors, such as 2chopo.com, and a number of Lesbian that are active in the community on Twitter, but if you're looking for friends, contacting people randomly on there may not be very effective, even if you can communicate in Japanese. There are also a few lesbian-only SNS services, but they are generally for dating.

My advice to you would be to spend the next year learning, or improving your Japanese if you don't already intend to, and then looking for lesbian bars or circles once you have arrived. There are English showing resources, but I don't know how likely you are to form a friendship with a Japanese person through a service intended for foreigners.
by Umechan (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Where can I find Japanese LGBT contacts? 2015/8/21 22:25
Umechan - I'd like to thank you for the clarification. Even though I've spoken to quite a few people in Japan over the years I guess it shows how much my true understanding is limited on some occasions.

The main thing I'm happy about is that the information which I thought was correct has been remedied with something I believe shows a true understanding of what happens in Japan.

Also apologies to the forum for my misunderstanding.

Best regards,

medley
by mfedley rate this post as useful

Re: Where can I find Japanese LGBT contacts? 2015/8/21 23:44
Shigoto Now has provided a good place to start, so I have little to say, but areas like Shibuya-ku and Setagaya-ku have started issuing official certificates for gay and lesbian couples who wish to be recognised as married couples. So, yes, they are there.

But like it is in many parts of the world, a lot of people in Japan not only have the taboo of sex being dirty or for procreation, but romance and relationships in general are nothing you go talking around to other people. So I think organizations are a good place to start looking for safe friendship. Here's another one I found.

http://tokyorainbowpride.com/
by Uco rate this post as useful

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