As I Am: L.G.B.T.Q. in Japan

As I Am: L.G.B.T.Q.in JapanPhotographs and Video by Chang W.

LeeText by Motoko Rich and Hisako UenoOct.9, 2024In Japan, same-sex unions remain outlawed, and children who don’t conform to traditional gender norms are routinely bullied.

Japanese who are gay, transgender or nonbinary must stake out their own distinctive paths.In these interviews, L.G.B.T.Q.Japanese — some of whom spoke despite fears of being ostracized — talked about their daily rhythms and routines.

While some are politically active, others prefer to let their personal lives speak for their desire to be accepted.‘I thought they wouldn’t be able to understand even if I tried to tell them how much I loved my girlfriend.’When Hitomi Sawabe, 72, was in high school in Tokyo, she was told that homosexuality was akin to measles — something that could be cured.Her affection for other women did not feel to her like an illness.Yet she was afraid to share with her family the true nature of her relationships.In Japan at the time, public images of lesbians tended to show them in pornographic contexts.

On a trip to the United States with her partner at the time, Ms.Sawabe discovered a community that “felt free of gender,” and she was inspired to write about her own sexuality back in Japan.She published essays, a survey of women’s sexuality and a biography about a lesbian relationship between a well-known Japanese novelist and her lover.

Ms.Sawabe herself had a 10-year relationship with a woman that collapsed when her partner grew weary of Ms.

Sawabe’s intense devotion to her writing and decided to marry a man and have children.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times?...