Genderless fashion in Japan
Characteristics. People who are part of the genderless subculture are known as or , who dress androgynously without conforming to societal gender norms. The term "genderless" was coined by talent agent Takashi Marumoto to describe actor and model Toman, one of the influential figures of the genderless subculture. Men who are part of the subculture are idealized as "slim-bodied" and "cute-faced", using hair dye and makeup to accentuate their appearance, alongside flashy clothing and "cute" accessories. The genderless subculture is seen as a rejection of traditional gender roles. Unlike in the West, the subculture is  more associated with fashion than sexuality or gender identity, and is not considered to be a person attempting to "pass" as the opposite gender, or declaring themselves gay or transgender. Masafumi Monden, a researcher from the University of Technology Sydney, as well as several genderless men, have reasoned that this is because Japanese society puts a clear separation between appearance and sexuality. However, some men have stated that being part of the genderless subculture has made them more accepting of other sexualities. History. Historically, Japanese culture has portrayed feminine men and masculine women in the context of theatre and performance , involving cross-dressing, men performing women's roles in (known as ), and all-female performance companies such as the Takarazuka Revue. Unisex fashion for men has also been expressed through anime and manga. Modern genderless fashion originated in the Harajuku district of Tokyo, and drew heavy influences from the androgynous styling of South Korean K-pop boy bands, visual kei, and fashion from the 1980s and 1990s in the United States. Influential figures for the genderless subculture are actor and model Toman; model and media personality Ryuchell; and media personality . One of the few notable figures for genderless women in  media is actor and model Satsuki Nakayama; however, there are fewer genderless women in entertainment compared to genderless men. Junko Mitsuhashi, a professor of gender studies at Meiji University, has suggested that genderless fashion may have come about from young men who were "jealous of women because they can express themselves through fashion." Most fans of genderless men are young girls. The first instance of the term "genderless men" appeared in 2015 to describe Toman. By 2016, genderless fashion had been popularized through social media websites such as Instagram and Tumblr. In 2017, En Coton, a tailoring company, opened an  online service called Madam M, claiming to be the first clothing repair store for LGBT people in Tokyo, with options for "genderless" custom orders. In media. In addition to genderless people appearing in entertainment, several genderless men have appeared as characters in media, such as ' (2017) and "My Androgynous Boyfriend" (2018). "Hugtto! PreCure" (2018) gained media attention through an episode focusing Henri Wakamiya, a character with a genderless appearance; his episode arc also included the line, "Even boys can become princesses!" from protagonist Cure Yell, which led media to speculate he may become the first male Pretty Cure in the  history of the franchise. In 2018, the magazine "Da Vinci" cited Kuranosuke Koibuchi from "Princess Jellyfish", Oscar François de Jarjayes from "The Rose of Versailles" (1972), Marie-Joseph Sanson from "Innocent" (2013), Tetsuo from ' (2011), Haruhi Fujioka from "Ouran High School Host Club" (2003), Sailor Uranus from "Sailor Moon" (1991), Ukyo Kuonji from "Ranma ½" (1987), Sapphire from "Sapphire: Princess Knight" (2008), Kyubei Yagyu from "Gin Tama" (2003) as retrospective examples of genderless characters in manga.