PostGender: Gender, Sexuality and Performativity in Japanese Culture

by Ayelet Zohar (editor), Maki Isaka (Contributor)

Postgender: Gender, Sexuality and Performativity in Japanese Culture is a collection of articles by leading researchers in the fields of gender studies, visual culture and performance studies in Japan. Articles in this volume discuss fundamental issues in relation to the body, sexuality, gender, and their respective representations in the visual field. The volume contains texts considering gender and temporality in Takashi Murakami's superflat dimension; gender issues in relation to male pregnancy, motherhood and the family as represented in Hiroko Okada, Mako Idemitsu, Miwako Ishiuchi and Yasumasa Morimura's works; sexual identity of the otaku, and sexual representations in manga and anime; sexual organ depictions in the contemporary Japanese art and photography of Yayoi Kusama, Ryudai Takano, Yurie Nagashima, Hiroshi Sugimoto and Makoto Saito's advertisements; literary representations of hermaphrodites in Tokuda Shusei's Arakure and fictional genders in Kachikujin Yapu; the history of prostitution and Bubu de la Madeliene and Yoshiko Shimada's performance art; a Buddhist reading of Yoko Ono's Cut Piece; gender passing and masquerade in Kazuo Ohno and Tatsumi Hijikata's Butoh; and gender issues in Duras / Rennais' Hiroshima mon amour. The contributors include leading researchers and curators such as Jennifer Robertson, Michiko Kasahara, Tamaki Saito, Maki Isaka, Bracha Ettinger and others.

Genres: Nonfiction

341 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2009

Reviews

[VvTired (Lauren) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some chapters are better than others but still an interesting read.

[Ayelet Zohar · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Postgender: Gender, Sexuality and Perforemativity in Japanese Culture' is a collection of articles by some leading researchers in the field of gender studies, visual culture and performance studies in Japan. Articles in this volume discuss fundamental issues in relation to the body, sexuality, gender, and their respective representations in the visual field. The volume contain texts considering gender and temporality in Takashi Murakami's superflat dimension; gender issues in relation to male pregnancy, motherhood and the family as represented in Hiroko Okada, Mako idemitsu, Miwako Ishiuchi and Yasumasa Morimura's works; sexual identity of the otaku, and sexual representations in manga and anime; and, sexual organs depictions in contemporary Japanese art and photography of Yayoi Kusama, Ryudai Takano, Yurie Nagashima, Hiroshi Sugimoto and Makoto Saito's advertisements. This title also includes: literary representations of hermaphrodites in Tokuda Shusei's Arakure and fictional genders in Kachikujin yapu; history of prostitution and Bubu de la Madeliene and Yoshiko Shimada's performance art; a Buddhist reading of Yoko Ono's Cut Piece; gender passing and masquerade in Kazuo Ohno and Tatsumi Hijikata's Butoh; and, gender issues in Duras/ Rennais' Hiroshima mon amour. Participants include some leading researchers and curators like Jennifer Robertson, Michiko Kasahara, Tamaki Saito, Maki Isaka and Bracha Ettinger and others.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read it for the essay on otaku & fujoshi, and found myself disagreeing significantly with the author's interpretations. Did not read the other essays.

It's difficult to rate a book composed of multiple authors' work, and more difficult yet when only a sample of that work was read; but considering that the only other rating (5 stars) on this site is from the editor themself, maybe this will balance it out? I leave it to others with the book on their to-read list to decide.