ABSTRACT
As many of the chapters in this volume have shown, the visibility of non-dominant and non-hegemonic modes of gender and sexual practice in Japan has recently increased. These chapters also draw attention to the richness and diversity which have always been a part of the gender and sexual landscape in Japan. Yet, while it is vital that we continue to draw attention to this diversity and multiplicity, nevertheless, as Chapters 7 and 10 in this volume by McLelland and Ito¯ show, hegemonic expectations about gender and sexuality are a real concern for many Japanese. Thus, in order to fully appreciate the shifts occurring in the contours of gender and sexual ideology and practice, we also need to examine and explore the dynamics that operate within hegemonic discourses and ideologies of gender and sexuality.
