Interview with gay and straight Japanese "pink film" actor
Tim Evanson
Someone in one of the gay threads mentioned Japanese gay porn. That got
me looking for some. While I have yet to find any Japanese gay porn in
the U.S., I have found an interview with a Japanese "pink film" star.
I HIGHLY SUGGEST that straight AND bisexual AND gay readers interest in
Japanese porn read this interview. The performer in question has
appeared primarily in straight Japanese porn, even though he is gay!
What a switch from the American scene.
To start, however, I thought I'd include a little information on what it
means to be gay in Japan. It'll put this interview in context, and help
you read between the lines in this interview.
To most Japanese, including gays and lesbians, there is confusion over
the words for sex, gender, sexual orientation, and gender expression. It
is only recently that the Japanese language began distinguishing sex and
gender. The Japanese adopted the English word "gender" -- which became
"jendaa" in Japanese -- to describe culturally created concepts of
masculinity and femininity. "Sei" is the word used for the biological
sexes, and for the concept of gender. In addition, the word "okama"
means a gay male, or a feminine-behaving male, or a cross-dresser. In
the minds of many Japanese, they are one and the same. The word "doseiai"
-- literally "same-sex love" -- has never been a socially or legally
acceptable word. To many modern Japanese, however, it is the term that
is used to mean "homosexual." The term "lez" entered Japanese from
English but carries a pornographic meaning. Both "doseiai" and "lez" are
words that only entered the Japanese language in the last 30 years.
In Japan, therefore, just as in other countries, there isn't even
linguistic space to exist in.
Traditionally, Japan has looked at homosexuality as something strange,
something unnatural, something it would be better not to be. Since only
1% of Japanese are Christian, there is no concept of homosexuality as a
sin punishable by an eternity in hell, no Biblical text that discourses
on "crimes against nature." Still, if one is not the traditional
patriarch or the submissive wife, a Japanese person is on the outside of
an extremely structured society with extensive inter-related sets of
obligations and responsibilities. Rather than being liberating, being
outside the group is terrifying. The result is similar to what gays and
lesbians experience in Western culture.
Because of this, it wasn't until 1994 that Japanese lesbians and gays
joined together for the first Lesbian and Gay Parade in Tokyo. More than
1,200 gays, lesbianism and bisexuals marched.
It is interesting that few Japanese claim to be bisexual. The concept of
bisexuality, as elsewhere, is new to the Japanese even though it has a
long history in the country. Many Japanese are just beginning to explore
what bisexuality means. Is it a sexual identity? Or is it a form of
sexuality that literally undoes sexual orientation as a concept?
Biphobia often prevents many Japanese from identifying themselves as
bisexual. Most prefer the closet -- in both straight and gay
communities. According to gay Japanese men, heterosexually married gay
men often identify themselves as bi when online or in personal ads. To
many Japanese, it is preferable to marry a member of the opposite sex and
surreptitiously engage in homosexual relations rather than to come out
and destroy the bonds of family and culture. Because of this, bisexuals
remain suspect in both the lesbian and gay communities and stereotypes of
bisexuality are yet to be challenged seriously.
These social-cultural norms have had a profound effect in the lives of
Japanese gay men. Always on guard so as to not reveal their sexuality, a
majority of Japanese gay men live a contradiction. The constantly
struggle with themselves, often to the point of cutting off emotions and
denying their own oppression. Coming out is not an option. Instead of
being liberating and empowering, coming out is perceived as leading to
isolation from family, friends, and society, a predicament that creates
extreme fear in many gay Japanese men.
Most of Japan is really quite rural. For many gay Japanese men and
lesbian Japanese women, the only outlet for their sexual needs is the
Shinjuku red-light district of Tokyo. Known more familiarly to Japanese
as Ni-Chome, there are some 300 to 400 gay and lesbian bars in this
neighborhood. Although the gay bar scene may help gay Japanese men to
come to terms with the sexual aspects of their identity, it does little
to help them integrate their sexuality into their larger social
existence. It can even work to actively discourage such an integration.
This is not unique to Japan; scholars have long understood how
devastating the "gay ghetto" could be on American gay men, too.
The overt commercialization of sexuality is at the core of this
interview. Though targeting a gay audience, Japanese gay porn is made,
directed and even acted by heterosexuals! Despite the "very strange
ways" that gay sex is portrayed by these straight actors, theaters still
manage to attract large audiences for these films.
In America, gays lament the presence of heterosexuals in gay porn. In
Japan, it's almost the same thing - but for different reasons.
And now, on with the interview.
See ya…
Tim #1
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"An Actor in Japanese Pink Films: An Interview with Koichi Imaizumi."
"Queer Japan." Compiled, translated and edited by Barbara Summerhawk,
Cheiron McMahill, and Darren McDonald. Norwich, VT: New Victoria
Publishers, 1998. $16.95
<italic>[Introduction]
Pink films, which the non-Japanese observer might consider soft
pornography, recently have managed to attract a cult following. For
some, pink films represent a space within which sexuality can be
expressed as an art form. This is the impression that can be obtained in
discussions with Imaizumi, an actor in pink films. As a lead-in to the
main interview, pink film actor Koichi Imaizumi made it a point to
explain just what pink films are. Here, in summary, is how he defined
them:
Pink films started being made in 1961. Three pink films are screened
together as a set at movie theaters for a total of between sixty to
ninety minutes. A few years ago there were five companies involved in
the production of pink films, but today there are only three. Two of
these companies faced financial difficulties and so started to produce
pornographic films from around 1970. These films, called roman
pornography, were different from pink films. Roman pornography films
were produced with larger budgets and were filmed over a period of a week
to ten days. Though the lengths of the roman pornographic films, or
adult videos, are similar to those of pink films, with a larger budget
the nature of the films is different. For one thing, adult videos are
videotaped, not actually filmed; pink films use real film. Also, pink
films have a script, though the voice track is recorded after the filming
is completed because of the limited budget.
One major difference is that when filming there is only one take for each
scene. Pink films are considered pornography, but the sex scenes are
only simulated. In adult videos, which do have actual sex in them, the
sexual organs are blurred over with a mosaic so they cannot be seen. In
pink films, the mosaic is not used. But because Japanese law prohibits
the showing of pubic hair and sex organs, of course pink films are filmed
in a way so that none of this can be seen. This is done mainly because
of budget constraints; there is not enough money to edit in the mosaic
after the filming. With the increase in popularity of the adult videos
over the past few years, the popularity of pink films has dropped.
Having given some background, Imaizumi was then willing to launch into
his own story.
</italic>
Interviewer: What type of person goes to see pink films in the special
theaters?
Imaizumi: I do not know the entire details, but I gather the audience is
generally in their 50s or 60s. These people usually have a family and
are not able to see adult videos at home. There are salesmen who are
trying to kill time, and those who are waiting for the results of their
bets on the horse races.
Interviewer: What is the atmosphere like in these theaters?
Imaizumi: It differs from theater to theater, but overall you could say
the audience is not there to really see the film, more just to kill time.
In fact, most of the audience is fast asleep. There are some theaters
which are cruising areas for "homos."
Interviewer: So there are pink films targeted towards a heterosexual
audience and a gay men's audience?
Imaizumi: Yes. The gay pornography (pink) films are often called
Barazoku. This comes from the first gay magazine of the same name. If
you look back at the history of gay pornography, I think they started to
make an appearance about ten years ago. There are two companies that are
involved in this, one makes pink films as well, but the other only make
gay pornography and is located in Osaka. Basically the arrangement with
the theaters is to have one film from the Tokyo company and one from the
Osaka company screened together as a set. In Japan there are a total of
ten companies involved in producing only gay pornography.
Interviewer: The people who run these companies, are they gay
themselves?
Imaizumi: (Laughs) …No, not at all.
Interviewer: Do you ever speak with these people?
Imaizumi: No, as an actor, I only deal with the director. And as my
work only takes place at the filming location, I never meet with the
staff from the production companies. But, getting back to the history of
gay pornography, I remember the time when it first started to appear. I
was a junior high school student. At first there was no place to screen
such films, so the theaters that did were treating them as experimental.
During this experimental stage, the theaters drew a large audience, so a
company in Osaka saw the potential for a large market and started to make
gay pornographic films. But the people who made these films were not gay
themselves or anything. Even the directors of these films were not gay.
In fact the directors were the very same directors that made pink films.
Even the actors themselves were not gay, they were recruited from the
pink films.
Interviewer: So, these gay pornographic films were not made from a gay
viewpoint and experience, even though the target audience was gay?
Imaizumi: Basically, it was a heterosexual film but with the other part
being played by an actor of the same sex. Even with this, the theaters
still managed to draw large audiences. The main reason is that people
did not go along to actually see the films, but more for the theater as a
place to cruise. From the very start, I have always thought that gay
pornography in Japan was really strange. This situation has not changed
all that much.
Interviewer: So the actor's own sexual orientation has no bearing on the
role being played in gay pornographic films?
Imaizumi: No, the staff and actors for the pink films are the same for
the gay pornographic films. There have been openly gay actors who have
appeared, but these have been limited in number.
Interviewer: What about your own story? How did you become to be
involved in pornographic films?
Imaizumi: It was in the summer of 1990. A theater in Nakano-Musashino
put on a special film event featuring seven or eight pink films by a
well-known director. When I was younger I had already seen some of the
films by this director and really liked them. Just by coincidence, the
director was present during the film event on the day I went, and he
asked me if I wanted to appear in his films. I told him that I would
like to and have been appearing in his films right up to today.
Interviewer: How old were you when this director approached you?
Imaizumi: I was twenty-five.
Interviewer: What were you doing before then?
Imaizumi: Nothing much, really. In fact, I had never really though
about becoming involved in film, let alone becoming an actor.
Interviewer: At the time were you living with your parents?
Imaizumi: No, I was living alone.
Interviewer: Do your parents know that you are an actor in pink films?
Imaizumi: I don't think they know.
Interviewer: What do you think they would say if you told them?
Imaizumi: Well, I don't think they would be happy about it. But…I don't
think they would object to it either.
Interviewer: Why do you say that?
Imaizumi: Well, because I am an adult, my own person.
Interviewer: What got you first interested in pink films?
Imaizumi: I have always had a love for films. I started to see a lot of
films when I entered high school. I had a friend in the same class who
was really into films. We would go out and buy movie guide magazines and
saw at least one film a week. Before I met this friend, I did go alone
to see quite a number of films, but I was not a connoisseur. Most of the
films I saw were the popular films that had managed to draw a lot of
press coverage. After meeting this friend, I started to see lots of
films including a lot of Indies [independent films] because that was what
my friend was into. But even when I saw films from the U.S., I became
very particular in the selection. I was more interested in the director.
You see, American films seemed very alien to me. All the actors seemed
to look alike, and the story lines in the films seemed to be a part of a
very separate world. This inevitably meant that I was watching mainly
Japanese films. But even then, I was very particular. I wasn't
interested in the major films, by the large film companies. I t was the
minor productions that I was interested in. Actually, part of the fun
came from searching for really interesting minor films. I also had an
interest in old Japanese films. One of the things I used to do was
search for theaters that put on a series of low-budget adult movies after
the screening of the major road-show films. There are less and less
theaters doing this now, however. They were not pink films, but you
still had to be eighteen and over to see them. I was fifteen at the
time. It is usually around this age that you first want to see
pornographic films. So I went along to see the sex scenes. However,
when I actually went to see the films, I found an attraction that was
more than just the sex. The films were very different from how I had
imagined them to be.
Interviewer: In what way?
Imaizumi: As films, they were really, really interesting. The image
that I had before watching these films would be that they would all be
just sex, sex, sex, but they weren't. So I started to see more and more
pornographic films. After you start to see a fair number of these films,
you do come across a large number which are totally boring, but there are
many interesting ones, too. You see, in one-hour pornographic films
there are the obligatory three to four sex scenes, but for the rest of
the film there is the freedom to create a story in any which way you
want. This is what attracted me more to the films, though they were
pornographic. I then started to develop an interest in the directors and
went to see certain films because I liked the director. Satoh asked me
to appear in his films, but at the same time, I thought it would be a
really interesting thing to do, so I agreed.
Interviewer: One of the common things you hear about people acting in
pornographic films is that they are doing it out of necessity for the
money. But from what you have said, this doesn't seem to have been an
issue for you.
Imaizumi: No, I never really thought about the money. But now that you
have brought up the issue of money, let me say this, if I was doing it
for the money, it wouldn't really be worth it. These films are made with
very limited budgets. When you consider that the films today are made
with the exact same budget as say thirty years ago. Three million yen
[$25,600] does not go very far today. In my conversations with actors
who appeared around twenty years ago, the money they got then was quite a
lot. The amount they received for appearing in one film was much more
than a business man could ever dream of getting. But that does not stand
today. If you really wanted to make some sort of money today, you would
have to appear in a great number of films. For those who want to make
money out of appearing nude on film the usual decision is to go into
adult videos, because you can make money with these.
Interviewer: So why do you act in pink films? What is the attraction?
Imaizumi: I need to make it clear that I did not have any pre-determined
desire to appear in pink films. I was asked and took up the invitation.
But, still for me as an actor, pink films do have a certain attraction,
the main one being the opportunity to act. I have not undergone any
formal training as an actor, so really the only type of work for someone
like me with no experience is with pink films. For those who want to
pursue careers in other areas of the film industry, much more effort is
required. With pink films, there is always a lack of actors. So this
becomes a great opportunity for people like me with no experience. You
can make your way directly to the film set. In pink films, the actors do
not belong to a production/management company; you represent yourself.
This means that you have the freedom to pick and choose the films you do
and do not want to appear in. You do not have to appear in a boring film
if you do not want to.
Interviewer: Did you see first appearing in pink films as a stepping
stone to move onto other types of films?
Imaizumi: There are many who go into pink films with this
rationalization. But for me the motivation was different. Honestly, I
really have not thought about it. Thought I do not think that pink films
are necessarily the ultimate, I do not find other types of films all that
intriguing either. Now that I have spent a number of years appearing in
the films, it has become sort of a career for me. In the past couple of
years I have had offers to appear in films that were not pink films and
have gotten involved in these projects at my own pace. But my horizons
do not extend any further than this.
Interviewer: You mentioned that out of say 100 films only ten would be
of interest to you. What has to be in a film to make you interested? Is
it the story, or a message that makes you think about something? What
types of story lines do these films have anyway?
Imaizumi: Gosh, there are many types of story lines and themes. For
example some of the scripts have been on themes such as "perverts" and
peeping toms. Of course a majority of the roles have involved sex, but
outside of these scenes there is much more freedom. This is not always
the case. But what is more interesting is what I mentioned before, that
is all the twists and turns of the story between each of the sex scenes.
This is where the sense of the director really comes into play. If the
director himself is interesting then the chances are the film too will be
interesting.
Interviewer: So what you are saying is that the attraction is not so
much the story itself, but more the ingenuity in which the story is woven
around the sex scenes. Had you any training as an actor to appear in
pink films?
Imaizumi: No, I had no formal training and felt very nervous about
appearing in the film. By nature I am very introverted, it is quite a
task just to speak in front of people. So I was really worried I
couldn't really go through with it. Also being a pornographic films, I
had to appear naked and act in the sex scenes, which only increased the
embarrassment I felt. Worried that I would totally make a mess of things
I approached the director and told him about my fears, especially
pointing out that it would be my very first time. The director said that
it was not a problem, so I just took on the attitude, well there is a
first time for everything, I should worry and just do it. I spent some
time memorizing the script. But at the actual shooting, there were only
four days within which to complete the film. This left no time for
rehearsal shoots whatsoever. At the beginning everything was done so
swiftly. I felt myself caught up in a whirlwind of activity, at a total
loss as to where I was coming or going. All my efforts in memorizing the
script went completely out the window. One good thing about all this was
that I did not have the time to be embarrassed. Now I have become rather
familiar with how it all works. In fact I do not even bother about
memorizing the script. In most cases now there is no script prepared in
advance of the filming.
Interviewer: After the filming and the editing was complete for your
first film, what thoughts went through your mind?
Imaizumi: I felt like dying!
Interviewer: Why?
Imaizumi: I felt so embarrassed! I acted terribly. I even thought
about stealing the film and burning it.
Interviewer: Who did you see your first film with?
Imaizumi: Normally with pink films, after all the filming and editing is
complete, the company staff, production team and cast attend a special
screening. So I saw my first film with all these people.
Interviewer: Have you ever been to an actual theater to see your
films?
Imaizumi: Not for my first film. It was way too embarrassing; I do not
want to see that film at all. I see it as sort of a special case. But
from the second film on, I have often been to the theaters. Appearing in
film has not really changed my life all that much. But when I think
about it, I think it is rather a feat to appear in a film. I am not
saying that appearing in pornographic films is all that great. But even
a pornographic film is a film. Therefore, I'm always very curious as to
how people will receive the films I appear in. That's the main reason I
go to see my own films at the theaters. Another reason is that during
the special screenings with all the staff there I become very conscious
of my own acting (especially all the mistakes I make). It is difficult
to sit back and watch it as a non-involved member of the audience would
see it. Only during the second and third viewings can I see it within
the context of the whole flow of the film. When I went to see one of my
films for the first time at the theater, it was a strange feeling to see
the audience watching my film.
Interviewer: Were you worried, or even exhilarated, that someone from
the audience would spot you and point you out as the person who appeared
in the film?
Imaizumi: Before I went to the theater I had a flood of thoughts about
how I should disguise myself by wearing a hat and sunglasses. This ended
up becoming such a hassle that I abandoned the idea completely and went
undisguised. When you think about it rationally, the audience is not
really expecting to have anyone from the film sitting in the audience
watching their own film. Even if someone did eventually realize, I doubt
very much that they would approach me. This has not happened at all. I
have had friends come along to see the films with me. These friends do
not normally go to see pink films. The sound and other equipment and
facilities have become very rundown. The sound quality is poor and the
screens are small. Snoring can be heard from the audience, gropers are
on the loose and the theater has a drab, dirty atmosphere about it. At
times it is impossible to make out what is being said in the film. So I
have stopped going to the theaters. But a few years ago about four
directors of pink films came into the spotlight and their films started
to be screened at other theaters as well -- that is, theaters that are
not normally for the screening of pink films. When this happens I go to
see my films at these theaters.
Interviewer: You mentioned that the first film you appeared in was about
a sister and brother that become involved sexually. This film was
obviously targeted towards a heterosexual audience. What about films for
a gay audience, have you appeared in gay films?
Imaizumi: Gay pornographic films? Yes, I have appeared in them. But,
as I said before, the gay pornographic films are made by the same
companies that make the pink films. As it has turned out, I have not had
all that many offers to appear in gay pornographic films. The director I
work for has not done all that many gay pornographic films, so that
opportunity simply was not there for me. When my director, Sato-san, did
a gay pornographic film in 1995, I appeared in it, but was not included
in any sex scenes. My role was not even a gay role. So that was my
first gay pornographic film. But I had another opportunity last year
with a different director called Kikun. This director himself is gay.
Kikun made a gay pornographic film which will appear in this year's Tokyo
International Lesbian & Gay Film & Video Festival. Again, my role did
not involve any sex scenes. Then in January, with a different director,
I had another opportunity and finally appeared in a gay role. This could
be seen as my first real gay pornographic film. So altogether I have
appeared in a total of three gay pornographic films, but really only one
as a gay character.
Interviewer: Amongst all these pink films and the gay pornographic
films, where does your own sexuality stand? If you were to ascribe some
sort of name what would it be: gay, bisexual or what?
Imaizumi: This needs to be set in a context of an endless process of
evolution, a mix with fate, you could say. I have had sex with men. I
like sex with men. And again, just because I have had sex with women
does not mean that I should be defined by this. For about five years I
went out with a guy. This was my very first relationship with a man. I
have had sex with other guys since I was fifteen. But I had never fallen
in love or pursued a relationship. My first relationship came when I was
twenty-seven. It started like the others, with sex, but after having
sex, I fell in love and we ended up going steady. In the past I had
thought it would be nice to go out with certain guys, but when it
actually happened I was really surprised. Anyway, this relationship
eventually ended and I have not been out with a guy since. If you just
focus on the sex side of things, I have no desire to have sex with women,
only with men. But yet I cannot state with any amount of confidence that
I am a homo. This is something I don't understand myself.
Interviewer: What does homo mean to you?
Imaizumi: I have given this a lot of thought. In fact I have though
about this since I was a child. I think, now, that I am a homosexual.
But this thinking has not been a source of torment or anything. I do not
find myself having to hide this fact from my friends. But there are
times when I doubt what the truth really is. It is something that I just
have not been able to understand yet.
Interviewer: Nearly all of the films you act in, you are in a
heterosexual role. Does this present you with any sort of frustration in
regard to your own sexuality?
Imaizumi: When I act the sex scenes in the films, I am doing only that,
acting. My sexuality off the screen is a completely different matter.
When doing the sex scenes, I am not doing it for a sexual thrill. In
this way it does not really matter so much if the partner in the sex
scene is a good or bad person, or for that mater, a guy or a girl. The
real enjoyment comes from the way in which the story twists and turns up
until these different sex scenes, the way in which the story unfolds. So
in all this, my own sexuality is not all that relevant. In fact, brining
my own sexuality to the forefront would not be a plus for my acting or my
work. This is also true for all the people I work with. In the many
years of working together we have forged a sense of belonging to a
tightly knit group. Even if each of us knows of each other's true
sexuality, we all see it as not being relevant to the work we have to do.
Stating that I am a homo to people I do not know would mean that I would
then only receive roles as a homosexual. I would be confined to what
others would think a homosexual is. The number of gay pornographic films
being made is rather small in comparison. I want to have the
opportunities to act in a wider variety of roles.
Interviewer: Having worked with the same director for some time, now,
you must know each other fairly well. Have you told him about your
attraction for other men?
Imaizumi: Yes, I have.
Interviewer: What was his response when you told him?
Imaizumi: People of his type do not really have a deep understanding of
homosexuality. He thinks that if you are gay, you are a little weird.
But being weird has its advantages.
Interviewer: In what way?
Imaizumi: Well, it is in the way that we interact. I am not constrained
by the proper way of doing things. If I do things that do not fit the
proper model, then it is easily put into the "because I am weird" box.
This also relieves the tension in our relationship. All in all it has
not presented any problems. But there are people within the industry who
would not want to be with people like me. I do not have any relations
with those type of people.
Interviewer: Have you told anyone about your sexuality who is not
involved in the industry?
Imaizumi: Yes, I have told some of my friends. All my close friends
know. Even if I do not come straight out and tell them about it, they
clue in on it anyway. However, I have not told the people I work
part-time with. If I told them, they would probably not understand.
Telling them would only make the situation bad for me.
Interviewer: What type of part-time work do you do?
Imaizumi: Cleaning, glass windows and things.
Interviewer: You do this for a living?
Imaizumi: Yes.
Interviewer: This is because you cannot survive on acting alone?
Imaizumi: Yes.
Interviewer: Do the people at your part-time job know about you acting
in pink films?
Imaizumi: No. I think that these type of people would hold prejudices
against those who appear in pink films.
Interviewer: You have told a number of your friends about everything.
What were their reactions? Why did you tell them anyway?
Imaizumi: I find that I cannot keep parts of myself hidden from my best
friends. When I speak with my best friends, I end up just blabbing out
everything. I think it is the natural consequence of a close
relationship with friends. So for me there has not been any of the
dramatic scenes of revealing the true self because they have basically
known that from the start. In the past, when my director did not know
about my sexuality, he would joke and say that I must like men. Without
thinking I would simply affirm his implications by saying, Yes, that is
true. But having said that, it is a different story with people I work
part-time with. If confronted, I always deny. So there are many people
that know about my sexuality, but it is a natural part of knowing each
other, that is all.
Interviewer: When you talk to your friends about who you are and what
you do, which do you talk about first, about the pink films or about your
sexuality?
Imaizumi: Oh, definitely about the pink films.
Interviewer: Why is that? Is it because if they hold no prejudices
against you appearing in pink films, then chances are that they could
accept your sexuality too?
Imaizumi: Yes, that is partly true. But more than anything, my
appearing in pink films is what I hold most important. So I talk about
pink films first.
Interviewer: What role do you think the gay pornographic films play in
gay life?
Imaizumi: Role?
Interviewer: Well, you have acted in gay pornographic films. How do you
think these films affect the attitudes of the audiences?
Imaizumi: Actually I really only have an interest in being in the film.
This is how it works: I receive a script and am asked to appear. If I
like it, I agree. But if I stand back and look at the whole scene, I do
not really think the industry is all that concerned in how the films are
received audiences. The audiences are not really there to see the films.
The bottom line is that if the theaters can draw an audience by
screening such films, then they screen such films. That is all. This is
also true for those who actually make the gay pornographic films. The
film makers just make films for theaters for cruising. There is no
consciousness other than this. There is no concept of making films for
gay people, or supporting gay people through film. My own personal
opinion has two sides. One that much of this is true. The other, that
it is not right to have this situation continue. The people who come
into the theater get more attention than the theater screen itself. Then
there is the poor quality of the sound and screening equipment. For
example, the sound levels are so low that you cannot hear what is being
said. The screening times are not all that punctual either. The films
are just continually repeated. Overall, none of the normal procedures
for the ordinary theaters are followed at all. I have met some people
who have gone to pink films because they like them as films. But I have
not had the chance to speak with gay people who see the gay pornographic
films.
Anyway, there was a screening in January of a gay pornographic film that
I appeared in. What really stood out during the filming is that the
staff and actors did not have any idea what was involved in gay sex. The
director and actors were all heterosexual. They were all trying to
picture what it was like. This resulted in very strange ways of having
sex. I kept thinking, gay people do not do that sort of thing when they
have sex! I supposed everyone has their own way of having sex, so I was
not in a position to say which was the right way of doing things, so
throughout the filming I just kept the thoughts to myself.
Interviewer: If you had the power and resources to create your own film,
what type of gay film would you make?
Imaizumi: I would work within the gay pornographic category and create
the types of films with substance, that would interest people as a film,
drawing people who would not normally go to see a pornographic film.
Interviewer: What type of film would it be?
Imaizumi: Well, recently I was approached by the Osaka film company that
makes gay pornographic films exclusively, to write a script and I've been
seriously thinking about taking up the offer.
Interviewer: What type of story-line would it have?
Imaizumi: One theme that I have been thinking about is monogamy and
polygamy. There would be a couple in a monogamous relationship, but they
want to have sex with people outside of this relationship. Another theme
I am considering comes from thinking about the chances of loving someone
and them loving you back. I think it is very amazing to have someone
truly love you back despite all the chances. The setting would be
something like everyone in the world has died leaving only yourself and
the one you love. Even though you are the only two people left, the
other person still chooses not to love you.
Koichi Imaizumi
Koichi has just finished writing his first film script which he titled in
English, "Over the Rainbow." A Pink Film company has agreed to use the
script, with filming to start in May 1998. The film will deal with "the
everyday struggles that gay men encounter in loving and living." The
film will feature heterosexual actors playing gay roles, so Koichi is
faced with the challenge of "educating" these actors as to what it means
to be gay. Koichi hopes that his message will reach more gay men and
that a better appreciation for Pink Films can be achieved.
END.
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shog...@mindspring.com
would take hours to correct the mistakes you've made here, but the
most outrageous is the following:
>
>Traditionally, Japan has looked at homosexuality as something strange,
>something unnatural, something it would be better not to be.
Next to Greece, Japan has the world's richest tradition of same-sex
eroticism. Read Gary P. Leupp's _Male Colors: The Construction of Male
Homosexuality in Tokugawa Japan. You'll find that not only were there
native Japanese terms for men who were only attracted to other men
(and women, etc.), there were also words for heterosexuals, a concept
that didn't become common in the West until well into the 20th
century.
The idea of any kind of sexuality, apart from maybe necrophilia and
bestiality, as being "something strange" didn't arrive in Japan until
it was "opened" to the West.
>It is interesting that few Japanese claim to be bisexual. The concept of
>bisexuality, as elsewhere, is new to the Japanese even though it has a
>long history in the country.
How many Japanese do you know? I can't think of a country where I've
met *more* self-proclaimed bisexuals.
>Most of Japan is really quite rural.
So is the U.S! But over 90% of Japanese live in cities with
populations of over 100,000 people. This is NOT a nation of rice
farmers!
>lesbian Japanese women, the only outlet for their sexual needs is the
>Shinjuku red-light district of Tokyo.
Tokyo has three other major gay centers. And there isn't a city in
the country without at least one gay bar.
Hogan
Tim Evanson
> Next to Greece, Japan has the world's richest tradition of same-sex
> eroticism. Read Gary P. Leupp's _Male Colors: The Construction of Male
> Homosexuality in Tokugawa Japan. You'll find that not only were there
> native Japanese terms for men who were only attracted to other men
> (and women, etc.), there were also words for heterosexuals, a concept
> that didn't become common in the West until well into the 20th
> century.
Please note that I didn't discount this tradition. However, we're speaking of
modern Japan. And I pointed out the words in Japanese for gay men, noting
that terms of such concepts as sexual orientation and lesbianism did not enter
the language until quite recently.
> The idea of any kind of sexuality, apart from maybe necrophilia and
> bestiality, as being "something strange" didn't arrive in Japan until
> it was "opened" to the West.
I never said that, either.
> >It is interesting that few Japanese claim to be bisexual. The concept of
> >bisexuality, as elsewhere, is new to the Japanese even though it has a
> >long history in the country.
>
> How many Japanese do you know? I can't think of a country where I've
> met *more* self-proclaimed bisexuals.
I dunno.... 50? 75? Hardly any of them would DARE to be openly bi or gay at
home. And you can take up the claim with my friends, and the authors (all but
one of them Japanese) of "Queer Japan," the book from which the interview is
taken.
I've snipped the rest of your criticisms, but I will defend myself by relying
on Imaizumi's interview. Odd how his responses tend to support the things
I've said. Of course, we can settle these questions by citing the statistical
almanac of Japan, etc. But that's for soc.gay.japan (sic), isn't it?
See ya...
Tim #1
--
shog...@mindspring.com
>Please note that I didn't discount this tradition. However, we're speaking of
>modern Japan. And I pointed out the words in Japanese for gay men, noting
>that terms of such concepts as sexual orientation and lesbianism did not enter
>the language until quite recently.
>
They didn't come into English that long ago either. Even the term
"gay" was a code term that didn't become widely known until the 1950s.
Throughout the 20th century, Japan never lagged behind the West more
than a few years in coming up with new terms for sexualities.
>> How many Japanese do you know? I can't think of a country where I've
>> met *more* self-proclaimed bisexuals.
>
>I dunno.... 50? 75? Hardly any of them would DARE to be openly bi or gay at
>home. And you can take up the claim with my friends, and the authors (all but
>one of them Japanese) of "Queer Japan," the book from which the interview is
>taken.
I haven't read _Queer Japan_ but I've read all the Japanese-language
books written by gay Japanese about gay life in Japan (there haven't
been many to date), subscribed to and read Japanese gay magazines for
almost 20 years, and I've lived for an extended period of time in
Shinjuku, the part of Tokyo you called a "gay ghetto." And I can
tell you that in Tokyo alone, there are thousands of "out" gay men. If
you want to play with numbers, there are probably at least 75
out-of-the-closet "celebrities" in Japan.
That doesn't mean it's easy to be gay in Japan. There's a huge amount
of pressure on all Japanese to conform, get married and have two
children, and this pressure comes from employers as well as families.
I wouldn't want to be in their shoes, but it's a gross distortion to
make Japan out to be an East Asian Iran or even Montana, for that
matter. Japan has enormous social support networks for gay men and a
growing scene for lesbians as well.
>I've snipped the rest of your criticisms, but I will defend myself by relying
>on Imaizumi's interview. Odd how his responses tend to support the things
>I've said.
Do you give this much credit to American porn stars' sociocultural
observations?
Hogan
Tim Evanson
> Tim Evanson <teva...@erols.com> wrote:
>
> >Please note that I didn't discount this tradition. However, we're speaking of
> >modern Japan. And I pointed out the words in Japanese for gay men, noting
> >that terms of such concepts as sexual orientation and lesbianism did not enter
> >the language until quite recently.
>
> They didn't come into English that long ago either. Even the term
> "gay" was a code term that didn't become widely known until the 1950s.
> Throughout the 20th century, Japan never lagged behind the West more
> than a few years in coming up with new terms for sexualities.
I'm not saying Japan lagged overall, I only pointed out that Japanese had no
concepts for the terms I mentioned until very recently. (And actually, "gay" was a
known code-word for homosexuals at the turn of the century, not the 1950s; read
Esther Newton's book on Fire Island gay culture, or any of the recent books on gays
in New York City, or even Doug Sadownick's book.)
> >> How many Japanese do you know? I can't think of a country where I've
> >> met *more* self-proclaimed bisexuals.
> >
> >I dunno.... 50? 75? Hardly any of them would DARE to be openly bi or gay at
> >home. And you can take up the claim with my friends, and the authors (all but
> >one of them Japanese) of "Queer Japan," the book from which the interview is
> >taken.
>
> I haven't read _Queer Japan_ but I've read all the Japanese-language
> books written by gay Japanese about gay life in Japan (there haven't
> been many to date), subscribed to and read Japanese gay magazines for
> almost 20 years, and I've lived for an extended period of time in
> Shinjuku, the part of Tokyo you called a "gay ghetto."
That's not what I called it.
> And I can
> tell you that in Tokyo alone, there are thousands of "out" gay men. If
> you want to play with numbers, there are probably at least 75
> out-of-the-closet "celebrities" in Japan.
I don't deny that there are thousands of out gay Japanese men and women. But Japan
is, by the accounts of the Japanese I know and the reading I've done (which is less
then yours), Japan is very unwilling to accept homosexuality. I can't say it's
more or less than elsewhere, and clearly the Japanese don't accept it for reasons
that differ from other cultures.
> That doesn't mean it's easy to be gay in Japan. There's a huge amount
> of pressure on all Japanese to conform, get married and have two
> children, and this pressure comes from employers as well as families.
> I wouldn't want to be in their shoes, but it's a gross distortion to
> make Japan out to be an East Asian Iran or even Montana, for that
> matter. Japan has enormous social support networks for gay men and a
> growing scene for lesbians as well.
And I've never made that gross distortion. I've simply said what I've said, and
not made the comparisons you accuse me of doing. (And Montana's not that bad any
more, either. They've actually had one gay pride parade in Helena, and two in
Bozeman.)
> >I've snipped the rest of your criticisms, but I will defend myself by relying
> >on Imaizumi's interview. Odd how his responses tend to support the things
> >I've said.
>
> Do you give this much credit to American porn stars' sociocultural
> observations?
Absolutely. Porn stars live in the culture where they perform (sic). Mike Branson
is just as trustworthy to comment on the status of gays in America as I am, or as
Bill Clinton, or as Andrew Sullivan, or as Larry Kraemer. It is the collection of
voices that gives the surest picture, and no one individual knows "the truth."
I've never said Imaizumi's is the only view of Japan, nor that the authors of
"Queer Japan" got the truth either. But if the porn industry perceives that this
is the way Japan is, then they'll make movies accordingly. If you have other
evidence to offer from other Japanese straight and gay porn stars, let's hear it!
The more interviews the better!!
See ya...
Tim #1
--