Shintoism: Homosexuals In Ancient And Modern Japan

The term, “transsexual” has always been one of obscurity, muddled by countless contradicting opinions and perspectives that generally have nothing to do with the definition of the word itself. Oxford English Dictionary defines transsexuals as, “[those] whose sex has been changed by surgery.” Though Oxford English Dictionary has a very blunt, straightforward definition of what marks you as a transsexual, it almost makes light of the meaning of the word – that it is simply a matter of sex change and nothing else. These kinds of proclamations would be negatively viewed by some in the LGBT community, especially in more stifling communities such as Japan, that suppress individuality considered abnormal and out of place with the social construct of its society. Moreover, Japan’s innate compliance of cultural uniformity, with roles that are deemed appropriate or inappropriate within its culture, depict transsexuals as obtrusive, defying natural laws in order to engrave their own sense of identity in a world that considers them to be unwelcomed and not belonging. To the Japanese, transsexuals are personifications of a particularly foreign concept of sexuality and gender. But is this really the case? When taking a closer look at the Japanese contemporary culture, ancient history and legends,

Both ancient Japan and modern Japan have paradoxical views on transsexuals that contrasts the progression of Westernized standpoints on