Tokyo Weekender July 2016

@bapawn: Annemarie, your story about the
documentary Boys for Sale [page 36] was gutting, but I
couldn’t stop reading until I got to the end. How did you
find out about the project?
@mizrama: Yes, it’s a very distressing film to watch, but
a very important topic to bring to light – these young
boys who are being paid to sleep with older men in
Shinjuku. The director of photography is a friend of
mine so I knew about it from the start, when he and the
executive producer were first exploring the topic.
@bapawn: Emotionally, was it a difficult piece to work on?
@bapawn: I think it’s good that the film touches on topics
that are often kept out of public discussion in Japan.
@mizrama: Agreed. Hopefully it will encourage people
to examine their opinions about homosexuality, and
also put a spotlight on the need for sex education.
@bapawn: In a very different way, as this month’s cover
goes to show, perceptions have shifted on a topic that’s
quite out in the open in Japan: the kimono [page 26].
I’m glad to see that the garment is being taken down
from its pedestal a little, and becoming a bit more
democratized.
@mizrama: It has definitely stayed with me, and I
do find myself thinking of the boys and wondering if
they’re okay. But I think it was far more difficult for
the film makers. They spent three years on the project,
and hours interviewing each urisen (rent boy). Some
of the stories the boys told are truly heartbreaking. But
hopefully by making a documentary like this, they can
help to shift certain perceptions in and of Japan.
@mizrama: Me too. In our interview with Dr Sheila
Cliffe [author of the book The Social Life of Kimono],
it feels almost like she’s giving us permission to wear
the kimono as we would everyday fashion, rather than
reserve it for special occasions.
@bapawn: Well then, I know what I’ll be wearing to our
next office party…
VISIT OUR WEBSITE
WWW.TOKYOWEEKENDER.COM
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK
FACEBOOK.COM/TOKYO.WEEKENDER
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
@TOKYO_WEEKENDER
FIND US ON INSTAGRAM
TOKYOWEEKENDER
TOKYO WEEKENDER | JULY 2017 | 5