Emerging Lesbian Voices from Japan

Lesbian Sexuality has remained largely ignored in Japan despite increasing exposure of disadvantaged minority groups, including gay men. This book is the first comprehensive academic exploration of contemporary lesbian sexuality in Japanese society. Misinformation and erroneous portrayals of lesbians and lesbian sexuality have resulted in those who self-identify as lesbian living overwhelmingly invisible lives. Based on a series of long-term thematic discussions with Japanese lesbians living in the Tokyo area, this work opens up a more inclusive representation of cultural and sexual diversity across gender studies and Japanese studies. Chalmers addresses a wide variety of themes, including the issue of compulsory heterosexuality and the invisibility of Japanese lesbians as socio-economic and political subjects. Along with Chalmers, the narrators themselves explore the apparent monolithic notions associated with representations of the 'Japanese family', and the sex/gender distinction in relation to how lesbian bodies fit into ideas of 'Japanese womanhood'.The author provides a new lens onto Japanese society from which it is possible to critique several fundamental concepts that are so often taken as unproblematic in Japan, in particular notions of 'inside-outside', 'family' and 'community'. The author employs an interdisciplinary approach and this book will be of great value to those working or interested in the areas of Japanese, lesbian and gender studies as well as Japanese history, anthropology and cultural studies.