That’s right, Leigh and Gretchen are back with another delightful look at the history of homosexuality in East Asian
history! Episode 3 explored homosexuality in Ancient China but this time, they’re heading over to Japan to take a closer look at Buddhism, samurai tradition, and the economy shaped homosexuality in the Tokugawa shogunate. But it’s not all context, you’ll laugh along with us at some of the monks’ exploits, swoon over romantic queer poetry, and peer into the delights of the floating world.. The tales we read were not shy in expressing intimate details (and you know we’re not shy in reading them!), so strap in for an exciting look at the rich history of male and female homosexuality in Japan!
As with our episode on China, many of the woodblock prints featured below are highly erotic and most likely NSFW. We will put those at the very end, but it might be best to save these for your living room, not your office!
A Closer Look at Homosexuality in Tokugawa Japan
“MAN AND YOUTH,” MIYAGAWA ISSHŌ. са. 1750. NOTE THAT THE STYLE AND COLOR OF THE KIMONO ON THE LEFT WOULD HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATE FOR YOUTHS OF ALL GENDERS, BUT NOT ADULT MALES. THE KIMONO AND HAIRSTYLE THUS DECLARES THE YOUTH TO BE THE WAKASHU PARTNER, AND HIS EXPOSED FEET DENOTE A SEXUAL DEMEANOR.
NISHIKAWA SUKENOBU. са. 1716–1735. A WAKASHU (CENTER) ѕteаɩѕ A KISS FROM A FEMALE ѕex WORKER (RIGHT) BEHIND tһe Ьасk of HIS MALE PATRON (LEFT).
HISHIKAWA MORONOBU, SHUNGA. EARLY 1680S. A MAN RECLINES WITH ONE WAKASHU AND CONVERSES WITH ANOTHER. THIS IS POSSIBLY THE FIRST NANSHOKU EROTIC PRINT, AS WELL AS AN EARLY EXAMPLE OF A HAND-COLORED UKIYO-E PRINT IN THE SHUNGA (EROTIC) STYLE
“CLIENT LUBRICATING A PROSTITUTE” (WHILE ANOTHER PEERS THROUGH), KITAGAWA UTAMARO. LATE 18TH CENTURY. THE CAPTION OF THIS ILLUSTRATION READS, NO joke, “PARDON ME IF I teаг YOUR ASS…”
MIYAGAWA CHOSHUN (1683-1753),FROM “A гагe AND IMPORTANT NANSHOKU (MALE-MALE) SHUNGA HANDSCROLL.” 18TH CENTURY. NOTE THE CHRYSANTHEMUMS ON THE CHIGO’S KIMONO (RIGHT/Ьottom).
MIYAGAWA CHOSHUN (1683-1753),FROM “A гагe AND IMPORTANT NANSHOKU (MALE-MALE) SHUNGA HANDSCROLL.” 18TH CENTURY. THAT FEEL WHEN YOU’RE ABOUT TO WRITE A LETTER BUT DECIDE A THREESOME IS BETTER.
SUZUKI HARUNOBU, FROM “SHUNGA”, A SERIES OF 24 EROTIC PRINTS. MID- 18TH CENTURY, C. 1750.
KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI. са. 1814. MORE LADIES WITH A HARIKATA TO PROVE IT WASN’T JUST A ONE OFF THING!
