ABSTRACT
Japan has a rich women’s culture stretching back over time and encompassing community organisations, activism, commercial publishing, art and literature. The negotiation of terms for female-female desire is indicative of the political and creative forces shaping queer women’s history and culture in Japan. In this chapter, the author explores queer women’s culture in Japan, with a particular focus on the development of spaces where queer women’s communities could be forged through social activities and as forums for discussion. The early lesbian feminist movement of the 1970s sought to reclaim the word rezubian and reject its colonisation by heterosexist male desire. The 1980s saw an increase in commercial venues catering for women loving women. Onabe bars catering mainly to male clientele had been in operation for decades in areas of Tokyo known for their nightlife cultures. The 1990s is often referred to as the ‘gay boom’ period of contemporary Japanese culture.
