Hands-free “american dog” eating is obscene

Eating what Americans call a corn dog, in a yukata. I loved it!

Rainbow festival in Ni Chome is next Sunday, August 12

Here’s the poster for next Sunday’s Shinjuku Ni Chome festival. It’s kind of ridiculous that I couldn’t find a larger image online. Although brief, from 3 pm to 6 pm, this bar-organized festival combines day-time socializing, some rituals including lesbian shrine-carrying, and an excuse to stroll around in your yukata. Who’s coming?

These boys are now legal. Coming of Age Day in Nakano

Crack open a beer. Dye your hair rainbow colors. Finally, I am posting photos from this year’s Nakano Sun Plaza’s celebration of the ward’s teenagers becoming adults.

Festive yankii relief

After two consecutive political images– not sure which is uglier, politicians buttholes or faces– I thought this blog needed some festive yankiis to balance out the male beauty spectrum.

These guys were selling drinks and street food at the Nichome Rainbow Festival two weeks ago. I love how they combine androgyny (hair clip, check!), damaged hair, towel as scarf, and a touch of punk (lip piercing, check!).

Now we’ve all seen the future of Japan, and can rest more easily!

Pristine white booties at Nichome’s Rainbow Festival

The Rainbow Festival in Shinjuku Nichome today was short (2.5 hours), fewer than 5,000 people in world’s largest city, but there were some special moments. The portable shrine was fronted by women, but seeing the guys in fundoshi “bringing up the rear” was delightful.

I will go on a limb and say that I think it’s all about the immaculate white booties. They provide the purity that allows and nay encourages full ass exposure in a ritual that celebrates unseen gods in local wood structures, as well as farming cycles.

Is having a bubble butt a requirement for participation in carrying the shrine? The husband notices that the guy second from the right above is using belting or other under-technology to accentuate his ample assets. Would you call this a reverse push-up bra?

There were some yukatas to be seen, some androgynous yankii food sales nymphs, and a few lovely drag queens. But nothing comes close to the combo of white booties, uniform jackets, head towels, and exposed rumps.

Rainbow Festival this Sunday

The Rainbow Festival (レインボー祭り) will be held this Sunday, August 14, from 3.3o to 6 pm in Ni-chome. Last year was fun: lesbian omikoshi, men in fundoshi, and lots of yukata and daytime socializing. Tokyo’s gay district is almost always deserted during the day, so this is a special event. Who’s coming?

Melting older ladies’ hearts is enka heart-throb Hikawa Kiyoshi

I discovered enka heart-throb Hikawa Kiyoshi (氷川きよし) on the New Year’s Eve Kouhaku show. He did a big enka ballad in an over-sexed Arabian Nights production with gyrating belly-dancers. I love how in this image above he’s in front of a (very not gay) rainbow. It’s good to see that some youths are willing to entertain the nation’s growing population of elderly.

Final Tokyo Pride Parade images

I am ending my photos about Tokyo Pride Parade with this odd grab bag: rainbow socks with chunky heels, an outfit somewhere between farmer and rickshaw driver, two guys in chaps and bow ties, Google’s gay robot t-shirt, and this celebrant who passed out in the heat.

I won’t give up my individuality

Mostly the Tokyo Pride Parade was about fun, community, and visibility. There were a few political statements that struck me as especially relevant.

Above these incredibly young kids are posing with a sign saying, “自分らしさをあきらめない” (Jibun rashisa wo akiramenai, which means “I won’t give up my individuality”). Go, kids!

Below, there’s a message linking visas and marriage. I also love the woman with the rainbow umbrella, super colorful dress, and sign that says “God doesn’t bless marriages.” As part of an international couple, I feel the inconvenience of Japan and the US’s lack of immigration rights for gay spouses.

Why do Japanese love rainbows?

Japanese love rainbows! I made this rice bowl for the husband’s sister, and gave it the rainbow treatment because I heard she likes them.

Except perhaps for small town Christian children in the lost part of Amerika, every Amerikan associates rainbows with gays. Not in Japan. Just like men’s plucked eybrows, back-combed hair, outre fashion, and overall vanity, rainbows are not marked as other, different, or marginal.

Why do Japanese love rainbows?

Here’s the backside of the rice bowl.

This is one of my first pottery wheel ceramics. The only reason it looks mostly symmetrical is that my teacher/father-in-law helped me a lot!