   is japan's first male gay magazine commercially circulated.there had been a member-only magazine called adonis and its extra issue apollo in around 1960. it began publication in july 1971 by daini shobÅ's owner's son and editor . it is japan's oldest and longest running monthly magazine for gay men. however, it has ceased publication 3 times due to the publisher's financial hardships. as of august 2010, a total of 399 issues were published and ito has announced the 400th issue will be the final. the title means "the rose tribe" in japanese, hinted from king laius' homosexual episodes in greek mythology. the magazine has been printed in japanese only, with its last price Â¥900 per copy. ==features== gay magazines in japan, along with much gay culture, are segregated by "type"; most are aimed at an audience with specific interests. barazoku, however, attempted to reach a broad audience and thus contained "a little of something for everybody". a typical issue of barazoku had approximately 300 pages, including several pages of glossy colour and some black and white photographs of younger, fit men in their late teens and twenties (these photographs were censored in accordance with japan's rules, which require the obscuring of genitals and pubic hair). despite the inclusion of pornographic pictures, however, barazoku was not a pornographic magazine. the bulk of a typical issue of barazoku was made up of articles and short stories, advice, how-tos, interviews, news, arts, and community listings. in comparison with other gay magazines like badi, barazoku typically had fewer pictures and less manga stories and news, which may have contributed to its demise. much of the magazine's revenue came from the "personal ads" - advertisements placed by readers in search of romantic attachments, friends or sex partners. such advertisements have long been a popular way for gay men to meet each other in japan, but the advent of the internet, with its free dating sites, also contributed to th
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