[2] The Japanese adopted the English term gender (ジェンダー, jendā) to describe cultural concepts of feminine and masculine.
[2] Though the Japanese have borrowed a number of foreign terms in the process of globalization, Japan is by no means a passive recipient of Western discourse.
[2] A number of personalities who appear on television in Japan daily are gay or transgender, or cultivate such an image as part of their public persona.
A number of artists, nearly all male, have begun to speak publicly about their homosexuality, appearing on various talk shows and other programs, their celebrity often focused on their sexuality; twin pop-culture critics Piko and Osugi are an example.
[4] Akihiro Miwa, a drag queen, is the television advertisement spokesperson for many Japanese companies ranging from beauty to financial products.
[5] Kenichi Mikawa, a former pop idol singer who now blurs the line between male and female costuming and make-up, can also regularly be seen on various programs, as can crossdressing entertainer Peter.
Hard Gay (HG), a comedian, shot to fame after he began to appear in public wearing a leather harness, hot pants and cap.
His outfit, name, and trademark pelvis thrusting and squeals earned him the adoration of fans and the scorn of many in the Japanese gay community.
(A backronym meant as a joke identifies it as "Yamete, oshiri (ga) itai" which literally means "Stop, my bottom hurts!").
"BL" ("Boys' Love") refers to stories that either contain younger characters, or more light-hearted romance (as an alternative to more sexual content).
The show was so well regarded among the figure skating community and anime fans worldwide that it was even performed at the 2018 Winter Olympics by Miu Suzaki and Ryuichi Kihara from Japan.
[9] Superstar Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki dedicated a song to celebrate gay rights titled "How Beautiful You Are".