a long evolution of cultural attitudes toward same-sex relationships in Japan

Blood, tears and samurai love: how a global collaboration uncovered a lost love story in a rare @BeineckeLibrary manuscript. https://t.co/NKz00BUedF pic.twitter.com/dCAFUuKHoe

— Yale University Library (@yalelibrary) April 29, 2021

This manuscript’s singularity reflects, in part, a long evolution of cultural attitudes toward same-sex relationships in Japan. Historically, male-male relationships were acceptable but by the end of the nineteenth century when Japan emerged as a full-fledged modern power, such relationships were discouraged. As a result, many manuscripts and books depicting male-male relationships were destroyed, and it is now highly unusual to find a manuscript dealing with this subject in jitsuroku-bon, particularly in color.

THE GAY OF THE SAMURAI

ALL ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY, BUDDHIST MONKS, SAMURAI, AND THE TOKUGAWA MIDDLE CLASS

SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 • 5610 WORDS WRITTEN BY KOICHI • ART BY AYA FRANCISCO 

Leupp writes:

"Thus, Western cultural influence was a major factor in the decline of the nanshoku tradition. But surely this decline also reflects the collapse of the feudal structure that had shaped the development of male homosexuality in Japan

西洋の影響・・・・というより悪しき出羽守の影響ですな。