When it comes to gender, Japan does things differently. That guy may well be a girl, and that girl may well be a guy. Androgyny is a firmly established aspect of beauty and fashion. Indeterminate gender is sexy and alluring.
Deception, the other hand, is just plain annoying.
Cosplayer Rei Dunois is known for a penchant for Evangelion and MCU, and for incredible character transformations. He has built up a significant fanbase -- to the tune of over 60,000 followers on social media.
We write "he" because we now know the truth, though you would be forgiven for misunderstanding if you saw ...
Seeing is believing -- or is it?
This makeup video tutorial shows that there really is more to things than meets the eye... At least, when that eye is restricted to a YouTube video.
A middle-aged (or self-professed middle-aged-looking) man who goes by the online name of Himeni has revealed not only his extraordinary makeup skills but also how easy it is to be deceived by visuals alone. In the much-shared video, he showcases his cosmetic talents and goes from ordinary guy to cute young Japanese woman, just like the ones you might see on the streets of Harajuku or Ikebukuro in their ...
Sometimes Japan can seem behind the times.
While the American entertainment world is finally waking up to the endemic nature of the casting couch with a resulting scandal that may continue in waves for a long time, there seems to be (as far as we know) zero serious discussion of the situation in Japan. The casting couch (makura eigyo) is a prevalent problem that music idols, gravure idols, models and actresses all have to deal with.
Likewise, though the last couple of years have seen the global profile of trans rights raised immensely, no similar movement has taken shape in Japan. Sure, ...
What is it about (certain) Japanese guys that seemingly makes them want to dress up as girls at any opportunity?
The music video for Gen Hoshino's latest single, Family Song, casts "him" in drag while only the other day we blogged about the deceptively feminine charms of one male high schooler?
Okay, Kabuki, lack of Victorian-era binaries, yada yada. Let's not try to come up with an anthropological mumbo jumbo answer for this. But it begs the question: are we witnessing an exciting surge in agender identity in Japan? From clothes to toilets, genderlessness is definitely growing in ...
This cute Japanese high school girl has gone viral, but not for the reasons you might think.
It's because "she" is not a "she" in the conventional sense of the term.
Like Shiseido did before him, @ginsyamu has managed to fool a lot of people into thinking he is a member of the fairer sex.
The 15-year-old young lad has amassed thousands of followers on social media with his uncanny ability to bend genders and strike convincingly feminine poses. Would this young lady have fooled you?
It's not just the hair or makeup (including mascara, lipstick and eyeliner) but ...
Onna no Ko Club is fast becoming the biggest (and certainly the most accessible) player in the growing otoko no ko and josou cross-dressing scene. It already has bars in Shinjuku (in Nichome, of course) and Osaka where you can go to try dressing up as the opposite sex (or just watch if you're not into actual cross-dressing).
It was recently featured in the Ellen Page documentary about gay Japan and its manager interviewed by Kyodo News.
Now it has a new salon bar in Ueno, this time with stylish chandeliers.
Opening on April 1st, it is located in the Okachimachi area of Ueno, a ...
Kyodo News recently had a feature on Onna no ko Kurabu (Girls’ Club), the popular cross-dressing bar and club in Nichome where you can try on women's clothes away from prying eyes.
The article highlights the "home from home" aspect.
Onna no ko Kurabu is not a drag bar with theatrical outfits and shows, but rather a relaxed space where a man can arrive straight from the office, perhaps in a suit, and indulge his feminine side with a complete transformation.
One side of this cozy bar is marked off with a heaving rack of outfits — everything from understated blazers to gowns with ...
You see?! Japanese cross-dressing is so rampant that even mainstream corporations sing its praises in their marketing campaigns.
Showing how the otoko no ko "male daughter" subculture is something to admire rather than be repelled by, cosmetics maker Shiseido has released a video promoting the benefits of the brand's make-up.
In fact, Shiseido's cosmetics are so good, they can convince others that you are a different gender.
These "schoolgirls" are not what they seem.
They're guys!
This video of behind-the-scenes footage shows how they did it.
So if you have some ...
Head over to Ebisu, a plush part of Tokyo just south of Shibuya, where you can visit Total Beauty Salon ZOOM and transform yourself into the opposite sex... temporarily, at least.
It's not a sex change medical clinic per se but it does offer beauty treatment courses for crossdressers (otoko no ko or josoko), both male or female.
As with lots of things in Japanese sexuality, there's little black and white here. Leave your preconceptions of transsexuality and homosexuality at the door, since in Japan cross-dressing does not mean you are "gay" and it often merges with more casual ...
Recently a Saitama civil servant got himself arrested for entering a female-only changing room at a spa while in drag.
Perhaps he should have gone to Tokyo...
Because Josokko Koishitsu (literally meaning "cross-dresser changing room" but with the English name Locker Girls Club) has just opened in Nichome, Shinjuku's gay district. Josokko Koishitsu (or "Kouishitsu" depending on your Romanicizing preferences) is a changing room facility especially for newhalf, otoko no ko cross-dressers and other types of transgender.
After all, if you are heading out to Nichome for some fun, ...
