Japan presents a unique context for conducting queer studies. Unlike Europe North America and
other regions of the world it is said to lack homophobia due to the absence of Christianity as
moral foundation. Furthermore the situation of LGBTQ+ people has changed rapidly over the past
ten years as the Tokyo Olympics provided another impulse for discussions about sexual minority
rights. As a result recent surveys show a dramatic increase in the acceptance of same-sex
marriage. However Japan is the only G7 country that does not recognize same-sex partnerships
and sexual minorities are not legally protected from discrimination. This is due to deeply
rooted traditional and religiously tainted family values represented and perpetuated by
post-war Japan's deeply conservative political establishment. While LGBTQ+ issues in Japan have
received scholarly attention since the 1990s there is little scholarship in English on
developments after 2000 let alone in the form of anthologies. This volume will bridge this gap
by shedding light on political and cultural representations of and by sexual minorities in
Japan after 2000 making thus available in English a completely novel perspective on LGBTQ+
issues in Japan and East Asia.
