ABSTRACT
Focusing on terminology, this chapter provides a broad overview of some of the discussions pertaining to trans and non-binary genders (and very briefly intersex issues) in Japan in recent years and looks at how some of these discussions intertwine with social and institutional understandings of gender in Japanese society. The first section focuses on historical shifts in frameworks through which transgender has been understood, and discusses the impact of medicalization and transgender as a form of gender identity disorder (GID) on transgender identities in Japan. The second section focuses on the author’s previous work on x-gender (x-jendā), a term used to describe non-binary gender in Japan. As an identity category, how x-gender is used and understood is contingent on the individual, and individuals utilize the term in order to articulate a specific form of identity or, in some cases, anti-identity. The third section briefly discusses intersex issues in Japan and some of the complexities in discussing these issues in tandem with LGBTQ issues. The chapter ends by discussing recent changes in Japan and considering possible developments in terminology and frameworks to understand trans and non-binary existences.
