“M.S.M. — Men Who Have Sex With Men”: A new documentary about gay (and not gay) men in Japan

M.S.M. — Men Who Have Sex With Men is an upcoming documentary about gay Japan.

Directed by Ian Thomas Ash and Adrian Storey/Uchujin, details are still slim and there’s no trailer yet. But naturally Tokyo Kinky wants to know more!

Image via @MSMdocumentary

We’re certainly intrigued by the tagline:

“Because not all men who have sex with men consider themselves gay.”

That’s an interesting phrase, especially in Japan, which has a long and vibrant gay culture, even though at the time and now it is not always recognized as “gay” in the modern sense. There were lots of man-on-man sexual relationships among samurai, for example, but we might not call this gay. A gay friend once told us that all Japanese men are just a couple of drinks away from being gay.

M.S.M. also comes out (no pun intended) at a very interesting time for Japanese sexuality.

7.6% of people in Japan identify as gay, lesbian or transgender.

There was a lot of publicity in the mainstream media after a celebrity couple came out and held a wedding ceremony. While same-sex marriage is not legal, Shibuya moved things forward by offering certificates effectively recognizing couples.

Last weekend Tokyo Rainbow Pride Festival was held successfully again, once more attracting the support of the prime minister’s wife.

Otoko no ko and other cross-dressing events are also booming right now in Japan.