To the Japanese, Hanyu may not be GNC
A week or so back @shomouno posted this answer to a question about whether Hanyu Yuzuru was gender non-conforming. I thought it was a great question, and also a great answer, one that acknowledges that from a primarily Western point of view, Hanyu, his costumes, his programs and such, would definitely be considered gnc.
And it got me thinking – what would the Japanese point of view be? While I’m not a Hanyu fan, and neither am I Japanese (if it matters, I’m Chinese), I live in South Hokkaido, which is 2 hours from Hanyu’s hometown Sendai. Hanyu is an obsession in this area. He is constantly featured on shows, newspapers, and every single competition of his is discussed in detail not only in media but in the workplaces and schools. I may have missed something due to inattention, but I’ve never heard anyone call him too girly. I have heard people accuse him of ‘acting cute’ despite being an adult (a complaint I’ve never heard thrown at models in their 30s who make duck faces and speak in a child-like voice, ahem), but that has more to do with societal expectations of age-appropriateness, not gender. Also, it didn’t strike me that Hanyu himself was motivated by a desire to challenge gender norms in his program choices.
I had an inkling in my mind, but this post ignited enough interest within me to want to read up more and join the discussion when I felt a little more informed. I’d done much research in school regarding gender in Japan, but it was mostly on the representation of women in the media, so I definitely needed to study more before I posted anything. I am still no where near an expert on this subject, but I’d like to present what I’ve learnt within this short week of reading up on the topic of gender norms in Japan. If there is anything that I say that anyone would like to add on to/dispute/etc, please feel free!
So, that being said here’s what I concluded after my readings.
I found that it is not so much that the signifiers of ‘femininity’ (graceful curves, ruffled tops) differ greatly between Japan and say, America, but rather that ‘femininity’ in Japan traditionally has more positive connotations such as courtliness, harmony and culture. I also found that in Japan, ‘femininity’ in the realm of the arts, especially high art – belongs to men. As such, from the perspective of the Japanese, because Hanyu is both an athlete and an artist, his programs will most likely not be seen as gender non-conforming. In fact by performing femininity, Hanyu as a person will be seen not so much as ‘feminine’ as in more like a woman and/or less like a man, but ‘feminine’ as in a man, but one who is more professional, refined and cultured.
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