Conference – The transgender culture in Japan – The example of the onnagata – Maison de la culture du Japon in Paris on Saturday, April 18, 2026
In ancient times, individuals outside the gender norms had a social role as shamans, intermediaries between the gods and humans. Their functions later extended to performing arts, welcoming guests in restaurants, and prostitution. Japan, characterized by great religious freedom, has seen significant development of transgender culture, still prominent today. This conference will be moderated by Camille Lenoble (Ph.D. in Japanese Studies from the University of Strasbourg).
Speaker:
- Junko Mitsuhashi, born in 1955 in Chichibu in Saitama Prefecture. From around 1995, she started giving lectures and writing as a trans woman. In 2000, she was appointed as a lecturer at the Faculty of Letters at Chuo University (research on contemporary society), becoming the first transgender university lecturer in Japan. In 2005, she taught the first specialized university course in transgender studies at Ochanomizu University. Lecturer at Meiji University until March 2026. Specialization: history of gender and sexuality, particularly the social and cultural history of gender transgression cultures in Japan.
Moderator:
- Camille Lenoble, Ph.D. in Japanese Studies from the University of Strasbourg. Specializes in gender and sexuality history. Research focuses on cross-dressing practices and representations, as well as gender social mobilities in modern Japanese society (1868-1945).
This conference will be broadcast online (live and on-demand).
Specialist in gender and sexuality history and a transgender woman, Junko Mitsuhashi will talk about transgender culture in Japan, its history, and current developments, focusing on kabuki and actors playing female roles: onnagata.
Saturday, April 18, 2026
from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Free admission
Reservations are ongoing
Target audience: youth and adults.
Schedule: year-month-day-time
Start: April 18, 2026, at 5:00 PM
End: April 18, 2026, at 7:00 PM
Date(s): April 18, 2026, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Maison de la culture du Japon in Paris 101 bis, Quai Jacques Chirac, 75015 Paris
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