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Homosexuality amoung the samurai in feudal Japan
Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 10:29 -0700
by hakucho
hey there
I was reading an article on kabuki in the Guardian newspaper (the link for which is here
http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/features ... 28,00.html ) as well as other articles on the net
http://www.stthomasu.ca/~parkhill/cj01/irepam.htm
http://www.androphile.org/preview/Cultu ... /japan.htm
which appear to suggest that homosexuality was a common practice amoung the samurai classes. I would like to know whether this view is accurate in a way, being that in a large number of samurai films and manga (ie Lone Wolf and Cub) save for "Gohatto" there doesn't seem to be any mention of this whatsoever.
I would like to know out of a desire to expand my knowledge on the samurai as well as sort out information for a non-UY fanfic I'm writing in which the narrator - a samurai retainer - is CENSORED. Also, I would like to know what Stan Sakai makes of such a view
thanks!
Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 13:34 -0700
by ziritrion
I don't know much about the role of homosexuality in Japan except for an episode of Samurai Champloo (hilarious!) and a paragraph of a book I bought which I translated and quoted in this thread, quite some time ago:
http://usagiyojimbo.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=245
In short: homosexuality in Japan back ath the time seemed pretty similar to homosexuality in ancient Greece. Promiscuity was more widespread, and relationships seemed to be based on hierarchy, kind of like Greek warriors and ephebes. But don't take it from me, since I'm no an expert in history
. It seems like your links are by far what explains it best.
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2005 6:22 -0700
by Gaffey
ziritrion wrote:I don't know much about the role of homosexuality in Japan except for an episode of Samurai Champloo (hilarious!)
Samurai Champloo rocks! That episode definitely caught me off guard.
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2005 7:33 -0700
by hakucho
Thanks Ziritron-san for the link and summing up! Is it okay if I use the article you translated as a reference?
And which ep of Samurai champloo was it out of curiosity, the first one where Mugen dreams that Jin is butt naked in a tub?
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2005 9:39 -0700
by Becky-Chan
The Inspector Sano novels by Laura Jo Rohland (sp?) touch on this as well, there are at least 6-7 novels published to date.
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2005 9:59 -0700
by Steve Hubbell
Becky-Chan wrote:The Inspector Sano novels by Laura Jo Rohland (sp?) touch on this as well, there are at least 6-7 novels published to date.
The 10th volume, "The Assassin's Touch", is coming out in another month or so.
Publishers Weekly wrote:
At the start of Rowland's assured 10th historical set in 17th-century Japan (after 2004's The Perfumed Sleeve), Sano Ichiro, now the shogun's chamberlain and second-in-command, returns to his previous role of criminal investigator after the country's top spy, Ejima Senzaemon, drops dead on his mount during a horse race. Sano quickly finds that Senzaemon was just the latest senior official to die without warning. With the assistance of Hirata, his longtime assistant, the chamberlain uses his highly irregular sources to get on the trail of a martial-arts master using the legendary dim-mak, or touch of death. As always, the potential political ramifications of the crimes, which threaten the regime's precarious hold on power, add urgency to the inquiries, and failure risks not only Sano's status but his family's lives as well. While the significance of the subplot featuring Sano's wife, Reiko, may strike some as coincidental, the compelling story line, evocative detail and suspense should engage newcomers and satisfy longtime fans alike. At a point when many series show signs of wear, Rowland's characters remain fresh.
James Clavell's "Shogun" very briefly touches on it as well.
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2005 10:09 -0700
by Gaffey
hakucho wrote:And which ep of Samurai champloo was it out of curiosity, the first one where Mugen dreams that Jin is butt naked in a tub?
It was Episode Six -
Stranger Searching, which dealt with a Dutch tradesman (at least i think he was) named Isaac who was searching for a place more tolerant of homosexuality.
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2005 11:48 -0700
by ziritrion
hakucho wrote:Thanks Ziritron-san for the link and summing up! Is it okay if I use the article you translated as a reference?
You're welcome
. Of course you can use it as a reference, but if you're writing some kind of paper I'm not sure if it will count as a valid one, but it's OK by me. I'm not a very good translator
.