Edges of the Rainbow: LGBTQ Japan

by Michel Delsol, Michel Delsol, Haruku Shinozaki

PAPERBACK ORIGINAL An intimate photographic glimpse into the queer world behind the closed doors of modern Japanese society

The LGBTQ community in Japan has faced its challenges. Even as some religious and warrior orders have a long and recognized tradition of same-sex love, to be considered different, to be “the nail that sticks out,” makes coming out difficult.

Despite the conservative strain within Japanese society that encourages the LGBTQ community to remain unseen, a welcome change is happening on the ground. A number of queer cultural figures are opening up new horizons, and a growing majority of Japanese people believe that homosexuality should be an integral and open part of society.

The latest in a series of beautiful, affordable photobooks that look at LGBTQ communities around the world, Edges of the Rainbow is a photographic celebration of the queer community in Japan. In a set of more than 150 color and black-and-white photographs, acclaimed photographer Michel Delsol and journalist Haruku Shinozaki have brought together a fascinating group of individuals to create an unforgettable and uplifting look at a proud and resilient community on the margins of Japanese society.

Edges of the Rainbow was designed by Emerson, Wajdowicz Studios (EWS).

Genres: Nonfiction, Photography, Gay, Japan, LGBT

192 pages, Paperback

Published May 9, 2017

Reviews

[Eskil]

A very nice book :^)
I'm glad so many of the people who share their stories have supportive parents.

[Michael]

Fittingly, similar to Japanese culture, this book captures gay life there with honor and subtlety. Unlike the brash, political, in-your-face pride or woe-is-me struggles of coming out often showcased in western cultures.

The photographs and text offer a touching and gentle tribute and insight to queer life not typically seen in media.

[K.C. Norton]

Loved everything about this---in fact, loved it so much that I've immediately hunted down a bunch of the other books in this collection. Loved the diversity of the rep, the intimacy of the photos, and especially how joyful and playful so many of the images were. I was worried that, like so many other comparable projects, the majority of the subjects would be gay, but there was also lesbian, bisexual, trans, and intersex rep. In fact, the majority of the people included here are not cisgender men.

I have mixed feelings about focusing on the bodies of trans and intersex individuals (because, bro, SO MANY PEOPLE are so obsessed with genitals when it's literally none of their business) but my sense here was that the subjects of the photoshoots determined how they'd be portrayed, which just... WAAAHHH. Not every backstory/biography was upbeat, but pain was not the focus of the narrative here. It was so beautiful to see so many images of people who have figured out how to be themselves, and how they want to be seen. T_T

[Aaron the Pink Donut]

A Wonderful book full of really beautiful photos and interviews with activist, elder states people and folks just living in japan who identify within the LGBTQ community. well worth picking up.

[DFZ]

Peer into the lives of Japanese LGBTQ+ people in their personal and profession spheres. Bios accompany candid photos in black and white and color show a side of Japan that we don't often see in popular culture.