Continuities and Discontinuities between Traditional and Contemporary Representations of Homosexuality (male-to-male or female-to-female) in Japan
From The Great Mirror of Male Love from Edo period to The Lover’s Forest of the Post-War period, traditional and contemporary representations of homosexuality in Japan share continuities in their Wakashū culture but differ on their emphasis on fidelity.
Male love is portrayed as devoted and uncompromising in The Great Mirror of Male Love, while it is more fluid in The Lover’s Forest. There are multiple reference to making promises about loyalty in The Great Mirror of Male Love. Ichikuro vows himself to his lover “in this life and the next”(Saikaku, 117). Naiki and Dannosuke not only tattooed the name of their samurai lover on their arms but also declared their faithfulness by preparing to perform seppuku. These characters go to an extreme length just to prove their fidelity.
In contrast to the extreme devotion demonstrated in traditional male love, contemporary male love is characterized by philandering and a lack of commitment. Both Guydeau and Paulo in The Lover’s Forest are not exclusive in their relationship with each other. They both have other female partners while they see each other. Though Paulo denies the attractivity of Raymond who lurks around him, he is undoubtedly attracted by him as he constantly compares Raymond with Guydeau (mori, 149). Also, right after Guydeau’s death, “Paulo’s despair had already departed” (Mori 185). Paulo shows a lack of sadness and mourning for his lover’s death, which could possibly signify his lack of attachment to Guydeau. In contrast to Paulo’s lack of concern for Guydeau’s decease, Geki in The Great Mirror of Male Love tries to commit seppuku immediately after his lover dies because he thought “there is no sense in prolonging [his] life” (Saikaku 185). Devotion is a central theme of representing homosexuality in the traditional text but does not play a melodramatic part in modern text.
Both traditional and modern depiction of same-sex relationships are heavily based on wakashu culture. In the same way wealthy Samurais in The Great Mirror of Male Love have relationships with young boys, modern men “with a great deal of money” take an interest in adolescent (mori, 141). In The Lover’s Forest, Paulo is a 17 year old adolescent. He is considered a sought-after target by both Guydeau and Raymond. Paulo’s rarity and preciousness is reflected in Raymond’s description of Paulo as a “talented amateur… as rare as pigeon’s blood rubies” (Mori 141).
Both texts describes the relationship of male-to-male relationships happen between older Upper class males with lower class adolescents. In The Great Mirror of Male Love, the homosexual relationship is frequently between a Samurai and lower class pages. Guydeau in The Lover’s Forest is a professor at Tokyo University with a distinguished family background. His lover, Paulo, drops out of school and was a “delivery man for a dry-cleaning shop” (Mori). Both texts describe high power males treating the young adolescents as apprentices. In The Lover’s Forest, Guydeau is like Paulo’s father and teacher. Paulo learns from Guydeau high society habits such as smoking cigarette “only a little less than halfway down” (Mori, 138). Guydeau not only provides Paulo “a life of luxury,” but also “[tries] to cultivate Paulo’s ability to somehow earn his own living” (Mori, 152). He could have just allowed Paulo to stay home but he finds Paulo a new job and teaches him new skills about how to communicate with clients at work. From traditional time to modern time, youth is desirable, commodified and valued.
