Japan's Time-Crossing Problem with Homosexuality
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Japanese
Minor
International Studies
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
LeRon Harrison
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
Homosexuality has been a very popular topic of discussion in the world throughout history with Japan being no exception to this. One hot-button issue relating to this is the treatment of homosexual relationships which is of course one of the key things to consider when talking about homosexuality in a given country. However, what is missing is an awareness of how homosexuality was treated and viewed during the Meiji restoration and Edo eras which is important to understand how things got to where they are now in regard to the perception of homosexuality. By focusing hard on Gary Leupp's Male Colors: The Construction of Homosexuality in Tokugawa Japan when discussing the Edo era and Makoto Furukawa’s The Changing Nature of Sexuality: The Three Codes Framin Homosexuality in Modern Japan primarily when discussing the Meiji era, as well as adding modern voices from studies/interviews, articles, and opinion pieces with those who do and don't identify as homosexual/bisexual, my research project seeks to make connections when examining the past and present together and explain how homosexuality is viewed in modern Japan compared to Edo and Meiji. I argue that the Meiji Era took away places in the Edo era where homosexuality was seen as acceptable from the outside through harsh crackdowns in an attempt to westernize and has left modern Japan without any place where it is really seen as normal from the outside despite their westernization attempts in other areas of society, thus treatment of homosexuality has yet to recover from Meiji. In conclusion, this research project examines records of treatment of homosexuality in Edo and Meiji Japan as well as varying accounts from modern Japan to acknowledge the rarely discussed issue of how Japan's Meiji era caused for the perception of homosexuality to shift from what it was in Edo to what it is now.
Fall Scholars Week 2019 Event
GLT 400
Japan's Time-Crossing Problem with Homosexuality
Homosexuality has been a very popular topic of discussion in the world throughout history with Japan being no exception to this. One hot-button issue relating to this is the treatment of homosexual relationships which is of course one of the key things to consider when talking about homosexuality in a given country. However, what is missing is an awareness of how homosexuality was treated and viewed during the Meiji restoration and Edo eras which is important to understand how things got to where they are now in regard to the perception of homosexuality. By focusing hard on Gary Leupp's Male Colors: The Construction of Homosexuality in Tokugawa Japan when discussing the Edo era and Makoto Furukawa’s The Changing Nature of Sexuality: The Three Codes Framin Homosexuality in Modern Japan primarily when discussing the Meiji era, as well as adding modern voices from studies/interviews, articles, and opinion pieces with those who do and don't identify as homosexual/bisexual, my research project seeks to make connections when examining the past and present together and explain how homosexuality is viewed in modern Japan compared to Edo and Meiji. I argue that the Meiji Era took away places in the Edo era where homosexuality was seen as acceptable from the outside through harsh crackdowns in an attempt to westernize and has left modern Japan without any place where it is really seen as normal from the outside despite their westernization attempts in other areas of society, thus treatment of homosexuality has yet to recover from Meiji. In conclusion, this research project examines records of treatment of homosexuality in Edo and Meiji Japan as well as varying accounts from modern Japan to acknowledge the rarely discussed issue of how Japan's Meiji era caused for the perception of homosexuality to shift from what it was in Edo to what it is now.