A variety of obscure literary publications referring to same-sex love also exist in ancient sources, but most of the works in art and literature depicting male to male sexual desire existed in the Heian era (794-1185) which describes the emotional relationships between homosexual in Japan. Some of these are the literary records of homosexual love as Gary Leupp (1996) suggests are the oldest extant chronicle in Japan, Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters), a collection of myths, and the Shoku Nihongi (Chronicles of Japan) which was completed in the year 869. But before elaborating about how male homosexual characters are used as representations of the country’s pop culture, it should be taken into note that male homosexuality is a prominent aspect of Japanese culture throughout history as prominent in art and literature.ĭating back to ancient Japan, the concept of male homosexuality is widely presented in Japan’s literature.
Being a country hailed for its’ fully-modernized non-western culture, Japan has always been subjected to discussions about gender issues, especially homosexual desires since social unity is paramount in the country.
Representations of gay men through contemporary medium as a product of popular culture is a frequent discussion commonly associated to Japan.