Scholarship on Japan has recently broadened to include minority perspectives on communities from marginal workers to those whose sexuality has long been overlooked. This volume, with its combination of fieldwork in the gay and lesbian communities and the use of historical sources such as journals and documents, breaks important new ground in this field. It examines gay life in the Japanese Pacific War, addresses transgender and lesbian as well as gay issues, examines the interface of queer society with the U.S. occupation and the international community, contests major interpretations of contemporary queer society, and introduces readers to the development of lesbian, transgender, and gay communities in postwar Japan. Including a wealth of images from the 'perverse press,' this book will appeal to students and general readers interested in modern and contemporary Japan and in gender studies and sexuality. Visit our website for sample chapters!

Chapter 1 List of Illustrations Chapter 2 Acknowledgments Chapter 3 Introduction Chapter 4 Heteronormativity on the Road to War Chapter 5 Japan's Postwar Perverse Culture Chapter 6 Gay Boys, Blue Boys and Brother Girls Chapter 7 The Development of a Homo Subculture Chapter 8 Toward a Lesbian and Gay Consciousness Chapter 9 Transgender Lives Chapter 10 Afterword Chapter 11 Bibliography