If you're interested in hiring me to cover any upcoming game releases, write guides, features, or even consult and write for your game you can reach me at kazuma.h.de
@gmail
.com ✨
While people are absolutely enamored with the Tokyo 2021 Olympics featuring music from prominent Japanese video game series, people are currently protesting for the Olympics to be cancelled due to it irresponsibly being held during a major pandemic. Cases in Japan are at a high.
Nintendo has introduced benefits for same-sex couples, along with heterosexual couples in common law marriages, in order to support a wider range of employees.
I'm not going to pay $60 for a game that mistreats, deadnames, and abuses trans characters. It doesn't matter how "dark"/"grim" a setting is, that's unnecessary. Developers need to understand what kind of player will feel good about that kind of violence directed at trans people.
This would be a great opportunity for people to learn how exploitive the Japanese video game industry, and the industry at large, is regarding it's localization and production pipelines, and how it bleeds into VA works and contracts, because this is not a one-off thing.
I think what I genuinely dislike about the "cool Japan" and "weird Japan" narrative is that it contributes to the idea that Japan is a far off and "exotic" place impossible for Westerners to comprehend when it's another first world country set back by a conservative government.
Reminder that SEGA JP is one of the few large scale companies in Japan (and within the gaming industry) to openly have LGBT+ inclusive environments, recruitment opportunities, and efforts to be more inclusive to sexual minorities within the workplace.
SEGA is once again co-sponsoring the Tokyo Rainbow Pride Parade. SEGA has been a sponsor since 2019, and previously created initiatives within the company to support LGBT+ employees at its Japanese offices.
I hope people discussing Pokémon Legends Arceus and it's visual inspiration will look into Japan's relationship with the Ainu people, how they're often treated as a tourist attraction on their own land, and how the government continues to treat them as a minority group.
The plot twist is the mangaka is pro-imperialist (anti-korean, has made imperialist propaganda before and is a nanjing denier as well) and it's unsurprising how it shows in his work, but becomes extremely blatant in the series later on. Don't read AoT or stop if you still are.
People will disagree, but this doesn't fix the problem. The problem being that Rowling will still make profit. There might be the barest thread of inclusivity, but that doesn't negate the fact that it directly supports a transphobe who spreads and funds bigotry with that wealth.
NEWS: Hogwarts Legacy will have trans-inclusive character creation, with body, voice, and gender ("witch/wizard") all separated, sources say. This news follows JK Rowling's transphobic comments and the recent discovery that a producer supports Gamergate
The Olympic committee is banning protests for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, but is allowing the Japanese Imperial flag to be flown by attendees at the event itself. That already says enough.
The Olympic Committee is banning protests at the 2020 Olympics.
It says "political, religious or racial propaganda" like armbands, kneeling or raising a fist will not be allowed at games or medal ceremonies because "sport is neutral."
The first day of the trial to achieve the legalization of same-sex marriage has begun. If you would like to show support towards this endeavor and the couples who are suing the Japanese government in hopes to achieve this right you can donate or send supportive comments here.
If you're looking for QR Codes for Animal Crossing: New Horizons or New Leaf, this tag is great for finding outfits, paths, and other textures --> #マイデザイン
Hello! My name is Kazuma, I'm a half-Japanese queer trans man. I am a game journalist and reviewer with pieces that mostly focus on explaining the cultural and societal differences between the Japanese LGBT+ community and the Western counterpart.
#TDOV
#TransDayOfVisibility
A video game doesn't need to be good for you to like it lmao You can totally like middling, mediocre things. Like, it's OK for a game to be bad and for you to enjoy it.
All of the people saying "It's Japan, it's different there," like no it's not lmao Japan has extreme issues w/ anti-blackness and colorism. Stop infantilizing Japanese people, it's insulting, and hold people accountable for their colorism and anti-black attitudes.
i have regrettably logged back into twitter to talk about this re: sentiment from the japanese community. a lot of complaints are focused around the inappropriate use of specific flags, etc. and the construction of buildings being wrong re: architecture.
My sibling who used to work at Aokigahara made a thread about some practices to keep in mind if you decide to go there as a tourist for whatever reason. Might contain some triggering content, but please feel free to look inside and learn if you'd like.
Or do something useful, like a tutorial on what to do if you come across that while being in Aokigahara.
Which is simple. I’ll give a tutorial here on what to do if you come across a fucking body in Aokigahara if you go there as a tourist out of morbid curiosity.
Instead of buying Catherine: Full Body consider downloading One Night, Hot Springs (which is free and about a Japanese transwoman) and donating the money you would have spent to any LGBT+ charity.
Gen Suzuki has filed a request to have his gender on his family registry switched without having undergone sex reassignment surgery. If his request goes through, it could potentially be a big step forward for transgender people in Japan re: family registries.
New Nike Japan add focuses on half-Japanese children and multicultural families, showcasing the discrimination and racism hafu face in Japanese society.
Naturally, ethnonationalists have flooded the comments threatening to destroy their shoes, saying this is an American issue.
I need people to understand it isn't children that mostly carry this sentiment. This was something that really started to show up when Skyrim exploded and big pubs like Game Informer, for example, started to reinforce time and content = value.
"This is what the Rising Sun flag stands for. Allowing it at the Olympics is unacceptable."
This image is from a nationalist rally that took place in Tokyo today. The Rising Sun flag is used as a symbol of pro-imperialism, racism, and both xenophobic and nationalist sentiment.
And honestly, embargos that stop people from giving warnings about what could be, or is, extremely triggering content are extremely irresponsible on the developer and publisher's part. These things NEED to be talked about.
My review for Elden Ring will becoming later this week. This is because PC performance was so poor that partly through my review I had to switch to the PS5 version of the game. And I have a 3080 with 32GB of RAM. So expect a report on performances of both versions of the game.
Buzzfeed Japan reports that anonymous sources are spreading misinformation in Japan about the incident in DC, with one website having a single post shared upwards of 8,000 times that claims Antifa was responsible for the incident. The article goes on to correct misinformation.
Japanese people like to pretend like colorism isn't a real issue in Japanese society, but I legitimately had my Japanese mother (who is brown) tell me that she was happy I was so pale and fair skinned so I wouldn't be bullied by other Japanese kids growing up.
Reminder that Suga was part of the Nippon Kaigi. For those unaware of who the Nippon Kaigi are, they are a far-right group in Japan that pushes for history revisionism and war crime denial. Numerous members of the LDP have been part/continue to be part of this organization.
I always think it's so funny that whenever Japan passes any kind of law that expands upon basic human rights for minorities, people always think it's because of the US. When the US was the one that historically put an ultra-nationalist party into power post WWII. Like, sure.
Additionally, Nintendo has revised its internal harassment regulations to prohibit any discriminatory or derogatory remarks regarding sexual orientation, gender identity, and the act of outing employees.
For those of you unaware as to why people are celebrating the fact that Sugiyama is no longer listed as a composer for Dragon Quest, it's because Sugiyama is anti-LGBT+ and is a history revisionist who would use the money he made from DQ to support anti-LGBT+ organizations.
This is one of the more significant additions, in my opinion, as protective rights for LGBT+ individuals do not exist within the workplace by law. This is the first time I've seen a AAA dev explicitly state this in changed policy. It will be significant if Nintendo holds to it.
I wrote about gender euphoria and gender expression through fashion like Visual Kei as a trans man while discussing Boys Run the Riot - a manga about self expression through fashion staring and written by a trans man!
Boys Run the Riot, Visual Kei, and Gender Euphoria Through Fashion
@JusticeKazzy_
spotlights a new fashion manga with a trans protagonist and how the world of visual kei helped him with his own coming out.
People will say the Final Fantasy series isn't political, and then one of the main scenario writers will reveal that one of the chief inspirations for some of the hardest hitting commentary in one of the most beloved entries are literally from diary entries from WWII.
Y'all know trans people play video games right? And that some of us read reviews to see if a game that is suggested to have trans representation in it, in some way, shape, or form, is good, bad, or just OK. Just because it doesn't matter to you doesn't mean it doesn't matter.
Here is a clip I just recorded. Just in case if this changes for whatever reason here is recorded proof. The entire word "Kong" has been censored in Genshin Impact.
Ah yes, we're back on the "Europeans can't handle the heat lol" discourse like houses here aren't extremely insolated, air condition is an extremely uncommon thing usually reserved for the wealthy, and people who live in these regions aren't accustomed to constant 90F+ weather!
The Japanese Imperial flag is going to be allowed at the 2020 Olympics in Japan. 🙃
The quoted text says that the flag's symbolism is "apolitical" which is absolutely untrue given the historical context of the flag and it's use at nationalist rallies.
If you're really going to attempt to justify your sexual attraction to underage characters in Japanese media with the statement of "the age of consent in Japan is 13" know that you're a weirdo and that the age of consent in Japan isn't 13, it's 16-18 in accordance with the CWA.
Reminder for LGBT+ folks in Japan - JobRainbow has a database where you can look up LGBT+ employers through their website. If you are LGBT+ in Japan and looking for an inclusive employer, their website is an invaluable resource.
Nintendo is now accepting Animal Crossing Amiibo card reservations. The cards will be made to order due to price inflation from third party sellers. If you reserve by June 30 you will get your cards in September. Amazon JP and the Nintendo store will ship orders nationwide.
Anyways, if you wanna know how I feel every time I see neon-drenched "oriental" aesthetic I wrote this piece about the cyberpunk genre and why it tires me out every time I see anything like this.
My latest for
@Polygon
-- I wrote about the Resident Evil series and how the constant, thematic horror of the franchise has been government backed eugenics movements and white supremacists.
Movies like this are arguably less glamourous when you know that the yakuza have been in decline for roughly a decade now and are trying to hustle spots to build bubble tea shops or are stealing sea cucumbers for cash.
The opening ceremony music also features songs from the Dragon Quest series composed by Koichi Sugiyama. He is a known history revisionist and donates money made through royalties from DQ to anti-LGBT+ organizations.
For those of you unaware as to why people are celebrating the fact that Sugiyama is no longer listed as a composer for Dragon Quest, it's because Sugiyama is anti-LGBT+ and is a history revisionist who would use the money he made from DQ to support anti-LGBT+ organizations.
Nibel only just now receiving any kind of mainstream attention as one of the largest content creators that created a consolidated source of games related updates and announcements as they've left because doing what they were doing wasn't sustainable is emblematic of the industry.
We had a similar instance years ago, where high profile ENG VA for anime and video game dubs went on strike due to making less than $800 a month. It's why you see so many VAs (not just NA/EU) doing side gigs. Because that's how the entertainment industry works on a global scale.
Not to be like that, but when I talk about the themes and visuals of FFXIV I do so in the context of Japan being a former Empire/colonial power. It's essential to learn a country's history in order to grasp specific themes and imagery. i.e. the pan-asianism of "Doma" for example.
In Winter 2022 we have Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty! Set 2,000 years after the original block, Neon Dynasty reintroduces this beloved plane in a futuristic present deserving of its hyper-saturated namesake.
We're entering another cycle of Western publications framing Japanese media as attempting to break into the mainstream. This happened roughly fifteen years ago, and some ten years before that. The cycle continues due to xenophobia within both creative and consumer spheres.
If y'all wanna know what it's like being a Japanese person who speaks English and is a vocal anti-imperialist online, today other Japanese people have decided that I'm not actually Japanese and must be Korean since I'm apparently spreading anti-Japanese propaganda.
Hi, I wrote about Animal Crossing: New Horizons and why acknowledging Japan's history of colonial rule is important to the discussion. Obviously it doesn't cover everything, but feel free to read.
Since this has been a subject of debate among Westerners for some time, as you can now very clearly see, possession of child pornography is illegal in Japan and is a punishable offense. So no, it is not okay in Japan.
Nobuhiro Watsuki's Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc manga is going on an indefinite hiatus in the upcoming issue of Jump SQ. set to release on Dec. 4 due to charges of possession of child porn being laid against Watsuki as per Shueisha's response to Buzzfeed.
Western Cyberpunk media loves to portray Japan as this technological giant that forces the West to comply. In truth, the CIA funded the LDP in the 50's to make Japan the conservative hyper-capitalist hellscape it is now.
After a lot of deliberation, I ended up coming out to my family in the US knowing I'd maybe never physically see them again, and they've shown full, unquestionable support. This is something I never expected, but it's made me so unbelievably happy.
People don't discuss the current state of the LDP, how the government is deeply rooted in patriarchal ideologies pushed by conservativism and how this impacts jobs for women or minorities or how this reflects popular media in their portrayal of these groups.
Western Cyberpunk media loves to portray Japan as this technological giant that forces the West to comply. In truth, the CIA funded the LDP in the 50's to make Japan the conservative hyper-capitalist hellscape it is now.
LRT The beginning of the lawsuit against the Japanese government to push for the recognition and legalization of same-sex marriage will begin on April 15. You can read more about the lawsuit and why LGBT+ couples in Japan are suing the JP government here.
I started dressing like a Castlevania character the moment I hit 30 and I'm never turning back. Fashion is an amazing tool of self expression, especially among us trans folks that maybe didn't have the means to achieve our idealized look when we were younger.
I am begging y'all to stop replying or QRT with "hehe gay sonic" and I'm asking you to instead understand why this goes beyond funding a pride parade in Japan, as SEGA actually provides same-sex couples the same employment rights as straight couples which the govt does not.
Transgender Japanese person here! So are any major gaming outlets going to consult a transgender or Japanese person, or maybe someone who is both, for articles about representation re: Catherine before having loads of culturally ignorant hot takes?
Once the Ghost of Tsushima discourse dies down, please remember to hire Japanese writers in English speaking spaces for features or reviews for media that aren't intertwined into our racial identity. Remember to let us talk about other things too!
It cuts understanding off by making Japan seem far away when it isn't. It excuses ignorance on behalf assumption. There are layers here, just like any other country, that need to be dissected and explained.
these are very valid criticisms. given that assassin's creed has prided itself on making recreations of specific areas during very specific time periods. so naturally, there will be criticism of this if done wrong. now the reason this has taken off is bc the NHK party caught wind
@AlbionHero
Damn I wasn't aware that my existence as both a racial and sexual minority as a Japanese person was pushing Western values onto my own culture. My bad.
REMINDER: I am an anti-imperialist and I mostly use this space to talk about Japanese politics and LGBT+ rights in Japan, since I am a Japanese trans man. I do not talk about video games very often, and when I do I tend to come off as very strongly opinionated.
If you're following for any kind of lengthy feature piece or criticism on the regular, I mostly just translate Japanese LGBT+ news or talk about history revisionism and Japanese imperialism in tweet form. I'm always happy to share news sources too, so just @ me if you want them.
"One gamer had this to say," I'm a trans man concerned with the representation of trans men in media. Say it with your whole chest or leave. I'm sick of trauma being the only thing that comes to mind re: trans characters when written by cis people.
SEGA JP is currently looking for new employees. Once again, the company mentions that it provides support for LGBT+ individuals. In the past, the it has mentioned that this includes support for same-sex couples.
Additionally, SEGA has an on-site nursery for those with children.
See, this tweet is genius actually because the image is of Kiryu Kazuma, protagonist of the Ryu ga Gotoku or Yakuza series in which Kiryu Kazuma directly confronts a fictional version of the Japanese Prime Minister in Yakuza 3 to talk about the demolition of homes in Okinawa to m
Often when I see these descriptors used it's just that and understanding or comprehension most often ends there. Japan is cool. Japan is weird. Impossible to understand. So people summarize all social and political issues as that. "It's just Japan."
If you want to go beyond the black square today, please consider donating to one of these Black-led, community-based LGBTQ+ organizations. Thank you,
@RaquelWillis_
, for compiling.
re LRT: Let me tell you that as a non-white trans man, I absolutely do not feel welcome in LGBT+ spaces for various reasons - some of these reasons absolutely including the sheer whiteness of these spaces and events, and the racial insensitivity that are largely part of them.
Was walking around and got hit up for a spontaneous photoshoot 🦇 (I was wearing a mask before and after the shoot 🙏)
📸 credit: marcs_moments_ @ instagram
For those looking at this without any information about Koike, she is a known history revisionist with regressive politics. She was also part of Japan's alt-right party, the Nippon Kaigi for some time. During her previous term she also did virtually nothing re: LGBT+ rights.
Just found out that my Polygon article about Ghost of Tsushima and Japanese ultra-nationalist propaganda is going to be used in a seminar at our local university and I'm !!!!
there are japanese historians, that are japanese, that do argue that yasuke was in fact real, and are getting dogpiled by people using GTranslate to argue w/ them. which is ridiculous. but that's twitter. also using downvotes on an international YT video as evidence is dumb.
tldr; I suggest looking at the Japanese talent industry and the standards there, and how it's bled into video game production! When being overworked and underpaid is the standard, it's going to affect the entire pipeline from the inside out, outside of the obvious suspects.
i have seen several tweets circulated from members or supporters of the NHK party as a sort of "gotcha!" re: yasuke. but those criticisms don't hold water imo. again. most people are not upset over yasuke. they're mad about the historical inaccuracies in the buildings
It truly is incredible that people are already trying to frame me as being someone who hates the Yakuza series, and by extension Judgment, based on my review, as if I am not the man in this picture.
the NHK/the collaborative party, are right-wing, and some of the loudest voices are japanese nationalists that are invested in the revision of article 9 (no surprise) and claim this is history revisionism. so there is a lot of hypocrisy there. given what the party stands for.
Happy
#TransAwarenessWeek
. I'm a trans man who writes about politics and examines pro-imperialist propaganda in media (specifically video games) and occasionally posts pictures of my cat.