Question RE <Shinjuku Boys>

[Sarah Teasley]

A few comments on Livia's posting:

At 10:14 PM 99.10.18, Livia Monnet wrote:

> .1)Have not found any scholarly evaluation of Shinjuku Boys.
Claire Maree has a discussion of language, gender and identity in Shinjuku B
oys in an issue of Gendai Shiso (I believe) from about a year ago.

For non-scholarly coverage of onabe in general, some of the Japanese weekly
magazines like Friday and Focus had a few articles on onabe for a while two
or so years ago. Max, the blond tencho (I seem to remember) of New Marilyn a
fter Shinjuku Boys was made, was a very minor media celebrity.

4)Onnabe are
> male-identified,cross-dressed female entertainers for female customers in
> special bars in Shinjuku.Some of these onnabe(probably female equivalent of
> sukebe,but I maybe wrong)underwent surgery,female to male

I've always heard that onabe (not onnabe, but the honorific "o" plus "nabe")
is the female equivalent to okama (not sukebe!!!).

Most of the onabe bars are concentrated in Shinjuku, but I believe that ther
e are onabe bars in other parts of Tokyo too, now.

Some onabe are totally male-identified, some onabe have ties with the Tokyo
lesbian scene. This is addressed in the film as well.

Finally, about the directors, Kim Longinotto's new documentary film, Divorce
Iranian Style, is showing in competition at the Yamagata International Docum
entary Film Festival in Yamagata, Japan this week. The documentary addresses
the gender inequality in divorce law and practice in contemporary Iran. More
information should be available at the YIDFF '99 web page.

I hope that this helps,

Sarah Teasley
Musashino Art University

_____________________________
Sarah Teasley / batgirl at tkb.att.ne.jp