Queer Japanese identities: an antidisciplinary approach to constructions of identity in Japan

Abstract

"I call upon here, not only the antidisciplinary paradigm of ‘Cultural Studies’ but also its approaches to re-evaluate, re-analyse, re-theorise, re-interpret and re-negotiate cultural theory concerning ‘Japanese Identity’. To simply ask ‘What is Japanese Masculine Identity?’ is to miss the point entirely. What remains important, is that outreach to not only theorise and inform, but appreciate the cultural sensitivities involved in the process. My paper activates this provisional project through an examination of hybrid youth queer subcultures, and their renegotiation of a specifically Japanese hegemonic heteronormativity. Identity and community play an important role in the Japanese context. Both have been a ubiquitous discursive force in the construction and maintenance of queer sites within Japan."