Otokonoko Culture: Crossdressing in Japan

Crossdressing in Japan has been very common since the past in Kabuki theaters. In this article, we are going to talk a little about this culture of wearing clothes of the opposite sex, where in Japan it got the name of Otokonoko.

Crossdressing for those who don't know is the practice of wearing clothes and accessories that don't match the person's gender identity. 

The word otokonoko [男の娘] comes from a pun on the homonymous word otokonoko [男の子] which means boy. The difference is in the last ideogram which actually means daughter [娘]. Wanting to say it's a boy, but it's actually a girl.

When a girl dresses up as a boy, the pronunciation of the pun is otokonomusume [男の娘]. The ideograms remain the same, only the pronunciation of the last ideogram goes to its main reading.

We also recommend reading:

Otokonoko - the culture of dressing women

How did Otokonoko come about?

The pun appeared in manga and within otaku culture, which gave rise to maid cafes, clothing stores and popular media. This slang is often used to refer to a boy who looks like a girl, or dresses like one.

This doesn't necessarily mean a sex change or homosexuality, some do it just for hobby, or fun. The Japanese do not consider dressing as the opposite sex a sign of homosexuality.

Otokonoko - the culture of dressing women

It is increasingly common for young celebrities to take pictures dressed as girls and post them on social media at least once. These young men proudly identify as a straight man, and are not shy about making public appearances at events.

It is very common to see anime characters who dress up as the opposite sex. Some call it trap because it tricks fans and sometimes even makes them fall in love. Many end up using anime traps as their waifus.

Read also: Complete list of anime trap characters Femboy

What do people think about otokonoko?

This can cause a lot of controversy in foreign countries, but we know that in Japan, there is great freedom in the way of dressing. Despite some questions, it is up to the conscience of each one to judge this hobby.

Otokonoko - the culture of dressing as a woman in Japan

This is just one of the thousands of unusual things that happen in Japan. So, you have to be careful not to confuse it with the beauty of these men, because it's kind of hard to tell.

I'll leave a video showing this situation a little, and notice how easy it is to get confused.

The video below shows a cafe in Akihabara called NewType where boys dress up as maid maids. Probably some foreigner must have visited this place thinking they were being attended by beautiful girls.

This coke is fantastic!

Read more articles from our website

Thanks for reading! But we would be happy if you take a look at other articles below:

Read our most popular articles:

Do you know this anime?