has to convey the truth of society in his works as it is a picture of society in the literary forms.
D. Review of Homosexuality in Japanese Society
Japan has a long history about homosexuality. In this part the writer is explaining the beginning of history of homosexuality in Japan and limited the
context until post-war Japan which is the story from the novel is takes a place. This part will give the reader better understanding to acknowledge the history of
homosexuality in japan that related to the topic of this research. It is started since Tokugawa period 1600-1867, Mark McLelland stated in his book: There were
four main contexts in which same-sex practices seem to have occurred. Firstly, within the Buddhist priesthood there is a long tradition of boy love which in
popular imagination that went back to the eighth-century where monk K ūkai who
was supposed to introduced the practice from China Schalow 1992. The pattern is for a young boy serving as an acolyte chigo to be the beloved of a senior
monk or abbot. A series of Tokugawa-period jokes and humorous stories collected by Levy 1973 also suggests that the sexual relationship between monks and
acolytes was a general assumption. The second context, as pointed out by Leupp, sexual relations between masters and servants young apprentices were common
and widely accepted 1992:98. Young salesmen who were sent out to peddle their master‟s wares seem to have also offered themselves; Statler 1961 suggests
that peddlers of Chinese medicine would sell themselves as well as their merchandise and Leupp 1995 argues that aloeswood salesmen sometimes
doubled as prostitutes.
The third context in which homosexual love was practised is within the samurai strata of Tokugawa society where same-sex romantic relationships were
represented in terms of an elite discourse which valorized the love of men over the love of women. The final arena in which same-sex sexual acts could be enacted
was within the floating world ukiyo of theatres and brothels. Both actors and prostitutes occupied a similar social position in the eyes of the authorities and the
theatre and brothel districts were situated close together on the outskirts of the cities McLelland, 2000:20-21.
From the explanation that is given above that homosexuality develop from Buddhist monastery, the merchant, the samurai castle and kabuki theater. In that
era, the position of men is higher than women, that have a relationship with a man is considered as an honor rather than having sex with a woman. Gary Leupp in his
book says: „One must acknowledged the likehood that throughout Japanese history
some men have for whatever reason, excusively experienced and acted upon homosexual desire. The literary references to onna-girai provide
evidences of such men within borgeois tradition, as do the example of men who wish to desire woman but simply cannot. But far more men would
have engaged in nanshoku because it was pleasurable, convenient, not forbidden nor regarded as immoral, and suggested by the nature of power
relationship of the time
‟ Leupp, 1995: 201. Leupp stated that the condition of Tokugawa era, woman is non other than
a trash, the same level as an animal. In that era, Leupp added, there is a Jianjin Yaufang
writing that is written by Dinasty Ming Sun Simo version that have content a yin-yang concept of sex, that is rewritten in Japan. A philosopher, Ota
Kinjo 1765-1825 using fire and water analogy, said that a sexual desire for a man is a “high desire” jouin whereas a sexual desire toward a woman is a “low
desire” kain. Because of this context, homosexual are spread wider and the Japanese society, in that time, does not have any negative opinion about
homosexuality. Entering Meiji restoration era 1868-1912, Japan
‟s government tried to achieve a modern civilization to equalize Japan
‟s status with the status of western country and the way to achieve it is by adjusting the Japanese culture with western
moral standard. Gregory M. Pfflugfelder said in his book : Much of the “civilized” legislation usually ascribed to the westernizing
zeal of the late 1860s and early 1870s rested solidly on edo-period predecent, including prohibitions against public nudity and seminudity, the
sale of erotic images shunga and phallic objects, and public urination Pflugfelder, 1999: 147.
The biggest alteration from this civilization is the law of anti-sodomy had
been made in 1873 and the severe punishment will be given for those who did homosexual act.
Those engaging in anal intercourse keikan shall each be sentenced to ninty days of penal servitude choueki. In the case of the peerage kazoku
and ex-samurai shizoku, this shall be treated as Dishonorable offence. Violated youngster fifteen years and under shall not be held criminally
liable. Those commiting anal rape goukan shall be sentenced to ten years of penal servitude. For attemted rape, the penalty shall be reduced
by one degree Pflugfelder, 1999: 159. As the regulation about homosexual acts is regarded as crime, the
homosexual activities little by little have some changes in its value drastically. Homosexual acts become “something that cannot be talk about” and the
homosexual have a new meaning as a “barbaric” or a “bad habit” or “immoral thing”.
In Taisho era 1912-1925 a new terminology appeared that refer to homosexual act that is called douseiai. It is considered as a psychology disorder.
A medical illness. The term douseiai actually has two meaning, it can be interpreted as „abnormal‟ and also it can be interpreted as an „illness‟.
Homosexuality is regarded as a common thing that occurs since Tokugawa Era to Meiji Era but it
is regarded as a crime after Japan‟s government tries to equalize Japan‟s status with western moral standard and it becomes something taboo or
immoral. It changing again in the Taisho Era and homosexual act is regarded as an illness or abnormal. Because of these changing of homosexual meaning, the
society also changes their point of view in sees homosexuality which they are feels ill toward homosexual people and tend to disregard them. The gay people
tend to separate themselves from the society because of those reason and they make the place as they can lives freely in their own little world, together with
another gay people. At the post-war period, after the Second World-War, the time in the story
is set, there are some gay bars. Gay bars are the place for gay people to socialize with other homosexuals. As the opinion of other people toward homosexual which
sees it as a disgrace thing and immoral, the homosexuals cannot show their true self and choose to hide themselves from the society. Mark Mclelland stated about
the gay bar and as he seen it in Yukio Mishima‟s work, Forbidden colors. He
wrote in his book: Mishima‟s treatment of homosexuality is marked by an undercurrent of
anxiety and self-doubt,even self-hatred. He conceives of homosexual men as a distinct subgroup who are forced to associate with each other in order
to appease their sexual desire which is characterised as a misfortune Mclelland, 2000: 26.
As Mclelland states in the quotation from his book above, Mishima depicts
homosexuality as it is „marked by an undercurrent of anxiety and self-doubt, even
self-hatred ‟. That he comprehend of homosexual men as „a distinct subgroup that
are forced to associate with each other in order to appease their sexual desire which characterized as a misfortune
‟. From this explanation, the homosexual here is described as a minor group that is constrained to mingle with each other to ease
their sexual desire which is characterized as a misfortune or a bad thing by normal people. Because of this condition, the place that homosexual usually gather is in a
hidden place because of the alienation homosexual is felt from the society. The alienation of homosexual men from mainstream society is emphasized
in scenes contrasting the hidden, furtive activities of gay men which take place behind closed doors in bars or in „closed‟ public spaces such as park
bushes and toilets with the open manner in which heterosexual people, particularly families, go about their business. He speaks of Sunday,
commonly known as family day in J
apan, as „miserable for homosexuals danshokuka’. Mishima makes homosexuality visible but as a separate
world; in doing so he only problematises it and offers few positive images Mclelland, 2000: 27.
In the quotation above, Mclelland wrote how Mishima clarify the concept
of alienation of homosexual men from the society which is emphasized in the hidden activities of gay men is done that take place closed doors in bars or in
closed public spaces such as park bushes and toilet. Yukio Mishima clarified that homosexuality are visible but in a separate world from the normal society.
D. Theoretical Framework
Kategori