Description

This engaging volume brings new perspectives to the much-studied field of gender in Japan by focusing on the ways in which gender presentation is turned into a commodified experience. It highlights the deliberate work that goes into the creation of gendered forms of intimacy in a broad range of settings: among female fans of pornography, cross-dressing escorts, gay bar service staff, street musicians in Tokyo and transgender people in Kyoto. Engaging with theories of gender presentation, performance and emotional labour, the chapters pay careful attention to the lived realities of gender, showcasing the strength of ethnographic methods. They allow readers to understand not only how gender is constructed and commodified in contemporary Japan but also what fantasies feed this process. Mainly written by early-career scholars, the volume addresses questions of sexuality and gender that are of interest to scholars and students at all levels, whether in Japan-related fields or beyond.