The story follows two Edo-era gay men, Yaji and Kita, who go on a pilgrimage to the Ise Shrine in hope of finding a cure to the latter’s drug addiction. This 2005 film features two popular Japanese actors Nagase Tomoya (Yaji) of the band Tokio, and Nakamura Shichinosuke (Kita), a well-known kabuki actor. Yaji & Kita: The Midnight Pilgrims (2005, dir. Matsumoto also wrote the movie’s screenplay himself.Ģ. The cast includes Pîtâ, Osamu Ogasawara and Yoshio Tsuchiya, among others. It has been touted as an important work of the Japanese New Wave. It is set in Tokyo’s underground nightlife and combines elements of art-house, documentary and experimental cinema. This film by Toshio Matsumoto, who started his career in the film industry by making experimental shorts, is a loose adaptation of Oedipus Rex and tells the story of Eddie and other transvestites in Japan. Let’s take a look at some of the more well-known gay genre movies that have caught the attention of local and global audiences. In the post-World War II era, gay films have started to be produced and made available to a wider audience. Japan has a reputation for being a conservative society, but with the passing of time and increased westernization, the country has started to open up, even in terms of sexuality.
