After watching Youth of the Beast which was just okay even though I have heard some buzz about the movie lately. I dunno. The whole 60's gangster thing feels overdone and this movie for some reason really felt like a TV show.
But in staying with Japan, I didn't know this. Most is copied: During a period of time in which the traditional civilization of Japan
reached its perfection, the homosexual love was considered a passion more
noble and more gracious than heterosexuality. Over time, this tradition
of homosexuality would quickly become discouraged, and eventually it was
kept so hidden as it was thought to have disapeared altogether. One interesting aspect of this tradition, which in turn aided in the
spread and popularity of homosexual love in Japan is that of the No
and Kabuki theatres. Dating back to the 12th century,
under the rule of emperor and despot Shirakawa-In who was particularly
fond of homosexual pleasure, the tradition of beautifying their favorite
male lovers began. They would paint on false eyelashes, perfume themselves
and dress in the same style as young girls. It was said to make the favorites
"even more delightful".
The tradition of male on male love was greatly encouraged within the samurai
class. It was considered useful to boys in teaching them virtue, honesty
and the appreciation of beauty. While at the same time the love of women
was often devalued for its so called 'feminising' effect.
"Toshiro Mifune, the popular actor famed for his characterizations
of quick-witted, taciturn samurai, never uttered a word about it. Akira
Kurosawa, the well-known movie director, kept inscrutably mum. Not one
of the many hundreds of samurai movies made in the past century even as
much as hinted at it nanshoku, the Love of the samurai. From its
pivotal position in the education, code of honor, and erotic life of the
samurai class, the love of youths has sunk below the level of the untouchable
to the level of the unmentionable, truly "the love that dare not speak
its name". But the indelible fact remains that one of the fundamental aspects
of samurai life was the emotional and sexual bond cultivated between an
older warrior and a younger apprentice, a love for which the Japanese have
many names, as many perhaps as the Eskimo have for snow."
Imagery comes from Yogen and is the artist Hasagawa.
More info on the previous ideas:
http://www.androphile.org/preview/Culture/Japan/japan.htm (best and most informative)
http://www.stthomasu.ca/~parkhill/cj01/irepam.htm (most of which is above)
http://www.nathanielwandering.net/Japan.htm