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Gary P. Leupp
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Male Colors: The Construction of Homosexuality in Tokugawa Japan Paperback – May 15, 1997

by Gary Leupp (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 42 ratings
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Tokugawa Japan ranks with ancient Athens as a society that not only tolerated, but celebrated, male homosexual behavior. Few scholars have seriously studied the subject, and until now none have satisfactorily explained the origins of the tradition or elucidated how its conventions reflected class structure and gender roles. Gary P. Leupp fills the gap with a dynamic examination of the origins and nature of the tradition. Based on a wealth of literary and historical documentation, this study places Tokugawa homosexuality in a global context, exploring its implications for contemporary debates on the historical construction of sexual desire.

Combing through popular fiction, law codes, religious works, medical treatises, biographical material, and artistic treatments, Leupp traces the origins of pre-Tokugawa homosexual traditions among monks and samurai, then describes the emergence of homosexual practices among commoners in Tokugawa cities. He argues that it was "nurture" rather than "nature" that accounted for such conspicuous male/male sexuality and that bisexuality was more prevalent than homosexuality. Detailed, thorough, and very readable, this study is the first in English or Japanese to address so comprehensively one of the most complex and intriguing aspects of Japanese history.
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  1. Print length
    310 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    University of California Press
  4. Publication date
    May 15, 1997
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0520209001
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0520209008
  8. See all details
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4.6 out of 5 stars
42 global ratings

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Customers find the book provides good information in an accessible way. They appreciate the thorough research and find it an excellent work on the subject. Many describe it as an interesting read with serious references.

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Scholarly contentReadability
4 customers mention "Scholarly content"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the scholarly content. They find it contains good information in an accessible style. The research is thorough and the book is well-worth the price.

"...It's sensible and sensitive, humorous, reasonably paced, and justifiably exhaustive and/or brief as necessary...." Read more

"...However, it is a scholarly work and well-worth the price of research. Especially since I've read and reread this book several times...." Read more

"Gary Leupp's research was clearly thorough, and his end-result benefitted greatly from it...." Read more

"This was a book purchased for a thesis paper. It contains good information in an accessibly written style...." Read more

3 customers mention "Readability"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book interesting and well-written. They appreciate the references to Indonesia and find it an excellent example of non-fiction writing.

"...It's definitely an interesting read, and a good reminder that sometimes we get a little too wrapped up in what our culture believes right now, and..." Read more

"This is an amazing book...." Read more

"Excellent book, full indonesia and serios rrferences" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • matt lohkamp
    5.0 out of 5 stars It was okay to be gay back in the day as long as you practiced it in a certain way
    Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This is a really excellent example of well-executed non-fiction. It's sensible and sensitive, humorous, reasonably paced, and justifiably exhaustive and/or brief as necessary. It's definitely an interesting read, and a good reminder that sometimes we get a little too wrapped up in what our culture believes right now, and forget that other cultures have believed other things pretty much forever. Gary Leupp covers all the different ways that homosexual behavior manifested itself in this particular era of Japan, and this has definitely piqued my interest in how other nations during other eras have treated their own confirmed bachelors.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Punychick
    5.0 out of 5 stars This explains a whole lot!
    Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    This book is really fascinating, if a bit pricey (Kindle).
    However, it is a scholarly work and well-worth the price of research.
    Especially since I've read and reread this book several times.
    At each reading I find an answer to something I've always wondered about.
    For example, why did Japanese nobility tend to be so warlike?
    If a Lordling gives honors and offices to an undeserving Boy Toy.....
    Well, you can imagine.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Irritable Brachiosaur Syndrome
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is an amazing book. It's hot as hell and it helps ...
    Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This is an amazing book. It's hot as hell and it helps give gays a place in history which, I assume for any minority that gets misrepresented or under represented, is more important than it sounds.
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  • Brian Watson
    4.0 out of 5 stars Thorough Research--Excellent Result
    Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2001
    Verified Purchase
    Gary Leupp's research was clearly thorough, and his end-result benefitted greatly from it. Although I already knew of both the monastic and samurai traditions of same-sex pairings, to see the extent to which this permeated Tokugawa society was fascinating. It also gave strong argument to the constructivist theory of homosexuality, which, when considered alongside biological factors, makes for a coherent picture of sexuality in society. It's clear from the work that more research can and should be done: same-sex pairings among women, and the shift from the Tokugawa to the Modern era in Japan and the resulting changes in sexuality would make for excellent books as well. One curious thing is the appendix of glossed terms in Japanese, Chinese and Korean. I for one would have appreciated more than a vocabulary list; if the notes in the text had contained the original language versions of his text, I'd have been happier.
    13 people found this helpful
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  • jadedflames
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book on the subject
    Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This was a book purchased for a thesis paper. It contains good information in an accessibly written style. I was also pleased with the surprisingly high quality of the binding on what I assumed would be a cheap paperback.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Monica Biancardi
    3.0 out of 5 stars Densely academic, if you aren't familiar with the historical context, the actual stories at the center of it will get lost
    Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2013
    Densely academic, if you aren't already familiar with the historical context, the actual stories at the center of it all will get lost within trying to place them inside the precisely depicted scenery of society, politics, economy and religious life etc of the period that are heavily constructed around the subject matter.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Wally12
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Nice!
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  • Richard Harrold
    5.0 out of 5 stars A major academic work that was a pleasure to read
    Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2002
    Not many scholarly works read well, but this one does. Even if you are not a student of Japanese history and culture, "Male Colors" is a pleasure. Yes, there are sections with a lot of Japanese names (particularly when the author cites a string of sources), but by and large, this work is very accessable to us mere mortals who are interested in the history of same-sex love.
    Initially, as the author describes, same-sex love in Japan was something practiced by elite groups: first the Zen Buddhist monks who are believed to have imported the practice from China (a curious notion because this also carries the connotation that homosexuality came from "some place else") and then the samuri elite. While factors such as the lack of eligible women may have contributed to the general acceptance of bisexuality, many, if not most, of the practicers of nanshoku had deep emotional ties to their partners. But as urban life began to grow, nanshoku was popularized through a combination of the kabuki theater and the commercial sex enterprises that cropped up.
    Also interesting were all the examples of art depicting nanshoku, some of it quite ribald and most of it graphic. But that just lends more weight to the notion that there was no stigma attached to boy love during this period in Japan, at least not a universal stigma; it was quite nearly universally tolerated and any effort to control nanshoku usually was to control violent fights over popular boy prostitutes rather than a governmental decree against homosexual sex.
    The book is heavy on male sexuality with little mention of lesbianism, but that's hardly a surprise considering most cultures tend to be strongly patriarchal and it is the men who record history. And as usual, it appears that it was through contact with the West, particularly with Christian missionaries, that the practice of nanshoku was eventually shunned into the crepuscular corners of Japanese culture. More evidence that if there is harm caused by same-sex activity, the harm is caused by a prudish societal mentality orignating in a rigid Judeo-Christian ethic that thrives on domination and guilt.
    45 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • elena
    5.0 out of 5 stars Bellissimo
    Reviewed in Italy on March 26, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Volume interessantissimo, arrivato in condizioni perfette (nonostante non ci fosse imballo nella scatola).
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  • Chiara Zanforlini
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 17, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    perfect thanks
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  • Rin Penner
    5.0 out of 5 stars The writing is very easy to read and is detailed (but not overwhelmingly so)
    Reviewed in Canada on September 20, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    A must read for anyone interested in Japanese history or the history of homosexuality. The writing is very easy to read and is detailed (but not overwhelmingly so). He covers a variety of homosexual practices within the Tokugawa period and covers Pre-Tokugawa development.
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  • Carlos Vivanco Pastore
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and informative
    Reviewed in Spain on July 6, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    A very well researched subject which allowed me to better understand how the Japanese society tackle this matter. An ideal book for people who wants to go to deeper layers of the Japanese society.
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  • Nathalie Andrews
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Look at the Culture of Edo Period Japan
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 26, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Brilliantly researched, the author argues a compelling case for the social construction of bisexuality in Edo Japan, touching on many complex issues without ever forcing an opinion down your throat. Great academic work and a fascinating read.
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