Latest news with #Metropolis
Geek Tyrant
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
James Gunn Explains How GODZILLA MINUS ONE Helped Shape His Vision for SUPERMAN — GeekTyrant
James Gunn is cooking up something cool and unique for Superman , and one of his sources of inspiration for the film came from Godzilla Minus One . That emotionally devastating, visually jaw-dropping Japanese monster film that tore through theaters last year is, in part, fueling the creative engine behind the launch of DC Studios' new cinematic universe. In an interview with Japanese outlet CinemaToday, Gunn talked openly about the influence Godzilla Minus One had on his upcoming Superman film, which flies into theaters on July 11, 2025. The film stars David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, with Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Nathan Fillion, and Isabela Merced also playing key roles in what marks the official beginning of DC's new 'Gods and Monsters' chapter. When asked about the visual approach to Superman, Gunn gave Toho's Oscar-winning epic credit: 'I was influenced by special effects. I tried to fuse elements like giant monsters, robots, flying dogs, other superheroes.' There's no way you could miss the hulking kaiju stomping its way through Metropolis in the Superman trailers, and no we know that its connected to Gunn's reverence for the spectacle of Godzilla Minus One . For Gunn, the real draw of Godzilla Minus One wasn't just the destruction, it was the emotional core that grounded it all. He explained: 'My goal was to make a film like Godzilla Minus One, which depicted Godzilla but also had great human drama. There is a human story at the root.' That outlook seems to guide how Gunn is choosing to reintroduce Clark Kent to audiences. Even with superheroes, monsters, and robots in the mix, Superman isn't shying away from emotional honesty and sincere storytelling. He elaborated on how he sees the character in today's world: 'I portray a character with optimism and hope that we associate with Superman. However, the world he lives in is one in which these things are no longer as important as they used to be. There is some overlap with the real world we live in.' And that's where Gunn might be doing something special. The story he's looking to tell is not about resurrecting Superman, it's about making his values matter again. In a cultural landscape where hope and kindness often feel like relics, Gunn wants to position Superman as a meaningful counterweight. 'Although there have been many portrayals of Superman, [I focused on] showing Superman with goodness, kindness, compassion, and an attitude that values human life.' Just like Godzilla Minus One used a monster to reflect humanity's trauma, Gunn is using a superhero to explore how goodness can survive in a cynical world. It's heart, hope, and the belief that one person can still make a difference.
The Wire
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Wire
One City, Two Tales: Tokyo Through Studio Ghibli's Lens
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Top Stories One City, Two Tales: Tokyo Through Studio Ghibli's Lens Priya Singh 42 minutes ago The dual representation of Tokyo in 'Whisper of the Heart' (1995) and 'Only Yesterday' (1991) serves not only as a narrative choice but also as a reflection of the city's complex identity. Posters for 'Whisper of the Heart' (1995) and 'Only Yesterday' (1991). Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Contribute now From Metropolis (1927) to Taxi Driver (1976) and Salaam Bombay! (1988) to Gully Boy (2019), cities on screen have long fascinated us – mirroring, distorting and reimagining urban life. Scholars such as Raymond Williams and David B. Clarke have shown how literature and film shape our understanding of cities, often revealing the tension between community and alienation, modernity and nostalgia. Thinkers like Marcus Doel and Henri Lefebvre remind us that cities are not just concrete and commerce. They are lived, felt and socially constructed. Few cities have inspired this dual gaze in films more than Tokyo. In Studio Ghibli's Whisper of the Heart (1995) and Only Yesterday (1991), Tokyo becomes a character in its own right; it can be both grounding and disorienting, echoing George Simmel's vision of the urban space as a site of both creativity and quiet estrangement. Studio Ghibli, founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki, has become synonymous with animation excellence. Their movies have critiqued Japan's rapid urban growth, showcasing the delicate harmony between human development and nature's grandure. In an era of AI-generated imitation, the Studio's artistry, once quietly revered, now stands at the centre of a broader conversation about what makes art truly human. Yoshifumi Kondō's Whisper of the Heart presents Tokyo as a place of inspiration and dreams. It follows 14-year-old Shizuku as she wanders through the bustling city with a sense of wonder, finding creative inspiration in its vibrant neighbourhoods and the people she meets. Her journey through Tokyo's suburban landscapes, antique shops and libraries highlights the city's potential to nurture creativity and personal growth. A still from 'Whisper of the Heart'. The film uses a warm and bright colour palette for the city – yellows, oranges, reds and greens – that reflects the characters' mood and emotions, along with the seasons and time of day. The detailed animation brings Tokyo's streets and homes to life. The film's music, including its use of 'Country Roads', is upbeat and melodic, reflecting Shizuku's youthful enthusiasm and the lively city atmosphere. The animation is detailed and realistic, with smooth movements, expressive faces and intricate backgrounds. Background characters are never still; they actively engage with their surroundings, making the city a living, breathing part of the story. The style is influenced by manga and the works of Miyazaki, who wrote the screenplay and oversaw the film's production. Around 70% of the film follows Shizuku's everyday life and adventures in Tokyo, allowing the city itself to take centre stage. In contrast, Isao Takahata's Only Yesterday takes a more introspective approach and explores themes of alienation and nostalgia. The film follows Taeko, a 27-year-old office worker, who reflects on her childhood in Tokyo and her current life, feeling disconnected from the city's relentless pace and modernity. The film juxtaposes her desire for a simpler, more rural life with her present-day experiences in Tokyo, highlighting the emotional and psychological distance she feels. The film's animation and realistic portrayal of Tokyo's urban environment bring out her sense of disconnection and longing for a simpler life. The film employs a cold, dark colour palette with shades of blue, grey, black and white to reflect the monotony and gloom of the city, as well as the nostalgia and regret of the protagonist. Taeko's daily commute and office scenes illustrate the repetitive rhythm and routine of adult life in Tokyo. The use of muted and earthy tones for the city captures Taeko's introspective and occasionally melancholic state of mind. The soundtrack is soft and reflective, enhancing the film's contemplative atmosphere and tracing Taeko's emotional journey. A still from 'Only Yesterday'. The animation style is simple and stylised, characterised by minimal, sometimes rough movements, understated facial expressions, and sketch-like backgrounds. This approach is influenced by the watercolour paintings of the original manga, as well as the works of Takahata, who directed and wrote the film. Unlike Whisper of the Heart, the city occupies a small portion of the film, about 15%, as the story alternates between Taeko's life in Tokyo and in Yamagata, the rural neighbourhood she moves to. The dual representation of Tokyo in these films serves not only as a narrative choice but also as a reflection of the city's complex identity. Like many global cities, Tokyo is a place of contrasts where tradition meets modernity and where dreams can be both realised and shattered. This duality is a common theme in urban studies, which regard cities as sites of both opportunity and alienation. Furthermore, the difference in the protagonists' ages influences their interactions with and perceptions of the city. While Shizuku's youthful perspective adds a sense of excitement and discovery to her experiences in Tokyo, Taeko's adult viewpoint is more reflective and critical. By examining these two films, we can gain insights into how Tokyo's multifaceted nature is portrayed through different lenses. Whisper of the Heart and Only Yesterday show us that cities are not monolithic; they are experienced differently by each individual. They are shaped by who we are, what we remember, and what we hope to become. These films help us think more deeply about what it means to live in a city, touching on themes of identity, belonging and the pace of urban change. Together, the two films offer two distinct yet complementary views of Tokyo: one full of possibility, the other tinged with longing. Through their contrasting tones and visual styles, they capture how the same city can feel radically different depending on who is looking and when. It is this quiet attention to emotional texture that makes Studio Ghibli's vision of urban life so resonant and so deeply human. Priya Singh is a researcher at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements, Bengaluru, working on higher education access, qualitative research ethics and cultural representation through both fieldwork and film. Make a contribution to Independent Journalism Related News Banu Mushtaq's Importance Goes Much Beyond the Booker The Politics of 'Heart Lamp' Is Profound, Urgent and Reflects the Lived Reality of Millions Why Banu Mushtaq and Deepa Bhasthi's International Booker Is a Seminal Moment Humour, Scepticism and the Realities of the Familial in Banu Mushtaq's 'Heart Lamp' Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o: The Kenyan Icon Who Wrote For Freedom Till the Very End Most Indians Can't Even Afford Entry-Level Cars. Maruti Suzuki Chairman Explained Why A Decade of Living Dangerously: The Wire Marks its 10th Year with Pressing Unmute in Naya India Listen: India's Reaction to Turkey is Understandable, But We Should Not Give Up on Diplomacy with it Godey Murahari Was a Spirited Parliamentarian About Us Contact Us Support Us © Copyright. All Rights Reserved.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Hazy Angrezi
Bachi Karkaria's Erratica and its cheeky sign-off character, Alec Smart, have had a growing league of followers since 1994 when the column began in the Metropolis on Saturday. It now appears on the Edit Page of the Times of India, every Thursday. It takes a sly dig at whatever has inflated political/celebrity egos, and got public knickers in a twist that week. It makes you chuckle, think and marvel at the elasticity of the English language. It is a shooting-from-the-lip advice column to the lovelorn and otherwise torn, telling them to stop cribbing and start living -- all in her her branded pithy, witty style. LESS ... MORE It's in the news but I'm confused Last weekend, TOI put me in a quandary. Saturday's top edit was called 'The Importance Of Being Earnest'. It wasn't about Wilde's misplaced baby. It was about untamed consequences of international misunderstanding. Deploying examples from military history it conveyed real-time caution to the seven delegations of multi-party MPs who've fanned out to present the truth about Pak-sponsored terrorism. The edit warned that this important attempt to remove any misunderstanding about our position harbours a possibility of the message itself being mis-understood in any of the targeted 33 countries. Ignoring Hindi jihadis – and subtly promoting its own USP – TOI pitched English as the best medium for the message. I'll say 'Three, or rather 33, cheers!' to that. Provided the messengers themselves – 'experienced and articulate' though they are – have been fully briefed not only on What, but more so on How. Why? Because, like truth and Tharoor, English is seldom plain and almost never simple. Then STOI rah-rah-ed Banu Mushtaq's International Booker win. No problem with that. It's the equal applause for the translation that's causing my confusion. Illa, illa, I'm not thoo-thoo-ing Deepa Bhasthi's raw, hybrid English moulded to the contours of colloquial Kannada. I'm all for empire currying the King's angrezi. But then what happens to the previous para's stance? Imagine the Babel if our diplomats start adding their own idiomatic tadka? More to my point, do aforesaid 'global-outreach' MPs have linguistic handlers? Parroting script no can do. Complex questions will demand nuanswers. One misstep could make the whole exercise stumble. Earlier remarks on Col Sofiya further complicate this 'propah-improppur English' business. The MP mantri tried shrugging off a bigoted and sexist slur as a mere 'linguistic mistake'. The SIT will hopefully rubbish this MCP's men-dacity as SC did his non-apology. My question concerns Dr Ali Khan. Call me elitist, but how 'linguistically' equipped are those cops tasked with fine-toothcombing all his past posts written in professorial English? With 'anti-national' the semantic chameleon of our time, I hope no dis-understanding there. *** Alec Smart said: 'Mumbai' metro stations submerged. Undergrounded. ' Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
AI could already be conscious. Are we ready for it?
I step into the booth with some trepidation. I am about to be subjected to strobe lighting while music plays – as part of a research project trying to understand what makes us truly human. It's an experience that brings to mind the test in the science fiction film Bladerunner, designed to distinguish humans from artificially created beings posing as humans. Could I be a robot from the future and not know it? Would I pass the test? The researchers assure me that this is not actually what this experiment is about. The device that they call the "Dreamachine" is designed to study how the human brain generates our conscious experiences of the world. As the strobing begins, and even though my eyes are closed, I see swirling two-dimensional geometric patterns. It's like jumping into a kaleidoscope, with constantly shifting triangles, pentagons and octagons. The colours are vivid, intense and ever-changing: pinks, magentas and turquoise hues, glowing like neon lights. The "Dreamachine" brings the brain's inner activity to the surface with flashing lights, aiming to explore how our thought processes work. The images I'm seeing are unique to my own inner world and unique to myself, according to the researchers. They believe these patterns can shed light on consciousness itself. They hear me whisper: "It's lovely, absolutely lovely. It's like flying through my own mind!" The "Dreamachine", at Sussex University's Centre for Consciousness Science, is just one of many new research projects across the world investigating human consciousness: the part of our minds that enables us to be self-aware, to think and feel and make independent decisions about the world. By learning the nature of consciousness, researchers hope to better understand what's happening within the silicon brains of artificial intelligence. Some believe that AI systems will soon become independently conscious, if they haven't already. But what really is consciousness, and how close is AI to gaining it? And could the belief that AI might be conscious itself fundamentally change humans in the next few decades? The idea of machines with their own minds has long been explored in science fiction. Worries about AI stretch back nearly a hundred years to the film Metropolis, in which a robot impersonates a real woman. A fear of machines becoming conscious and posing a threat to humans was explored in the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, when the HAL 9000 computer tried to kill astronauts onboard its spaceship. And in the final Mission Impossible film, which has just been released, the world is threatened by a powerful rogue AI, described by one character as a "self-aware, self-learning, truth-eating digital parasite". But quite recently, in the real world there has been a rapid tipping point in thinking on machine consciousness, where credible voices have become concerned that this is no longer the stuff of science fiction. The sudden shift has been prompted by the success of so-called large language models (LLMs), which can be accessed through apps on our phones such as Gemini and Chat GPT. The ability of the latest generation of LLMs to have plausible, free-flowing conversations has surprised even their designers and some of the leading experts in the field. There is a growing view among some thinkers that as AI becomes even more intelligent, the lights will suddenly turn on inside the machines and they will become conscious. Others, such as Prof Anil Seth who leads the Sussex University team, disagree, describing the view as "blindly optimistic and driven by human exceptionalism". "We associate consciousness with intelligence and language because they go together in humans. But just because they go together in us, it doesn't mean they go together in general, for example in animals." So what actually is consciousness? The short answer is that no-one knows. That's clear from the good-natured but robust arguments among Prof Seth's own team of young AI specialists, computing experts, neuroscientists and philosophers, who are trying to answer one of the biggest questions in science and philosophy. While there are many differing views at the consciousness research centre, the scientists are unified in their method: to break this big problem down into lots of smaller ones in a series of research projects, which includes the Dreamachine. Just as the search to find the "spark of life" that made inanimate objects come alive was abandoned in the 19th Century in favour of identifying how individual parts of living systems worked, the Sussex team is now adopting the same approach to consciousness. They hope to identify patterns of brain activity that explain various properties of conscious experiences, such as changes in electrical signals or blood flow to different regions. The goal is to go beyond looking for mere correlations between brain activity and consciousness, and try to come up with explanations for its individual components. Prof Seth, the author of a book on consciousness, Being You, worries that we may be rushing headlong into a society that is being rapidly reshaped by the sheer pace of technological change without sufficient knowledge about the science, or thought about the consequences. "We take it as if the future has already been written; that there is an inevitable march to a superhuman replacement," he says. "We did not have these conversations enough with the rise of social media, much to our collective detriment. But with AI, it is not too late. We can decide what we want." But there are some in the tech sector who believe that the AI in our computers and phones may already be conscious, and we should treat them as such. Google suspended software engineer Blake Lemoine in 2022, after he argued that artificial intelligence chatbots could feel things and potentially suffer. In November 2024, an AI welfare officer for Anthropic, Kyle Fish, co-authored a report suggesting that AI consciousness was a realistic possibility in the near future. He recently told The New York Times that he also believed that there was a small (15%) chance that chatbots are already conscious. One reason he thinks it possible is that no-one, not even the people who developed these systems, knows exactly how they work. That's worrying, says Prof Murray Shanahan, principal scientist at Google DeepMind and emeritus professor in AI at Imperial College, London. "We don't actually understand very well the way in which LLMs work internally, and that is some cause for concern," he tells the BBC. According to Prof Shanahan, it's important for tech firms to get a proper understanding of the systems they're building – and researchers are looking at that as a matter of urgency. "We are in a strange position of building these extremely complex things, where we don't have a good theory of exactly how they achieve the remarkable things they are achieving," he says. "So having a better understanding of how they work will enable us to steer them in the direction we want and to ensure that they are safe." The prevailing view in the tech sector is that LLMs are not currently conscious in the way we experience the world, and probably not in any way at all. But that is something that the married couple Profs Lenore and Manuel Blum, both emeritus professors at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, believe will change, possibly quite soon. According to the Blums, that could happen as AI and LLMs have more live sensory inputs from the real world, such as vision and touch, by connecting cameras and haptic sensors (related to touch) to AI systems. They are developing a computer model that constructs its own internal language called Brainish to enable this additional sensory data to be processed, attempting to replicate the processes that go on in the brain. "We think Brainish can solve the problem of consciousness as we know it," Lenore tells the BBC. "AI consciousness is inevitable." Manuel chips in enthusiastically with an impish grin, saying that the new systems that he too firmly believes will emerge will be the "next stage in humanity's evolution". Conscious robots, he believes, "are our progeny. Down the road, machines like these will be entities that will be on Earth and maybe on other planets when we are no longer around". David Chalmers – Professor of Philosophy and Neural Science at New York University – defined the distinction between real and apparent consciousness at a conference in Tucson, Arizona in 1994. He laid out the "hard problem" of working out how and why any of the complex operations of brains give rise to conscious experience, such as our emotional response when we hear a nightingale sing. Prof Chalmers says that he is open to the possibility of the hard problem being solved. "The ideal outcome would be one where humanity shares in this new intelligence bonanza," he tells the BBC. "Maybe our brains are augmented by AI systems." On the sci-fi implications of that, he wryly observes: "In my profession, there is a fine line between science fiction and philosophy". Prof Seth, however, is exploring the idea that true consciousness can only be realised by living systems. "A strong case can be made that it isn't computation that is sufficient for consciousness but being alive," he says. "In brains, unlike computers, it's hard to separate what they do from what they are." Without this separation, he argues, it's difficult to believe that brains "are simply meat-based computers". And if Prof Seth's intuition about life being important is on the right track, the most likely technology will not be made of silicon run on computer code, but will rather consist of tiny collections of nerve cells the size of lentil grains that are currently being grown in labs. Called "mini-brains" in media reports, they are referred to as "cerebral organoids" by the scientific community, which uses them to research how the brain works, and for drug testing. One Australian firm, Cortical Labs, in Melbourne, has even developed a system of nerve cells in a dish that can play the 1972 sports video game Pong. Although it is a far cry from a conscious system, the so-called "brain in a dish" is spooky as it moves a paddle up and down a screen to bat back a pixelated ball. Some experts feel that if consciousness is to emerge, it is most likely to be from larger, more advanced versions of these living tissue systems. Cortical Labs monitors their electrical activity for any signals that could conceivably be anything like the emergence of consciousness. The firm's chief scientific and operating officer, Dr Brett Kagan is mindful that any emerging uncontrollable intelligence might have priorities that "are not aligned with ours". In which case, he says, half-jokingly, that possible organoid overlords would be easier to defeat because "there is always bleach" to pour over the fragile neurons. Returning to a more solemn tone, he says the small but significant threat of artificial consciousness is something he'd like the big players in the field to focus on more as part of serious attempts to advance our scientific understanding – but says that "unfortunately, we don't see any earnest efforts in this space". The more immediate problem, though, could be how the illusion of machines being conscious affects us. In just a few years, we may well be living in a world populated by humanoid robots and deepfakes that seem conscious, according to Prof Seth. He worries that we won't be able to resist believing that the AI has feelings and empathy, which could lead to new dangers. "It will mean that we trust these things more, share more data with them and be more open to persuasion." But the greater risk from the illusion of consciousness is a "moral corrosion", he says. "It will distort our moral priorities by making us devote more of our resources to caring for these systems at the expense of the real things in our lives" – meaning that we might have compassion for robots, but care less for other humans. And that could fundamentally alter us, according to Prof Shanahan. "Increasingly human relationships are going to be replicated in AI relationships, they will be used as teachers, friends, adversaries in computer games and even romantic partners. Whether that is a good or bad thing, I don't know, but it is going to happen, and we are not going to be able to prevent it". The truth about life on other planets - and what it means for humans How can traditional British TV survive the US streaming giants? Nasa needs saving from itself – but is this billionaire right for that job? Top picture credit: Getty Images BBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day. And we showcase thought-provoking content from across BBC Sounds and iPlayer too. You can send us your feedback on the InDepth section by clicking on the button below.
Metropolis Japan
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metropolis Japan
Life as a Married Gay Couple in Japan
Credit: Seigo and Bren An international relationship comes with its own set of challenges. Beyond cultural differences, when a married couple is made up of people of different nationalities legal issues can also come into the picture. This is something Seigo and Bren know well. The Japanese/American couple decided to move to the U.S., Bren's home country, in order to be able to tie the knot, due to Japan's refusal to legalize same-sex marriage. After over five years on American soil, a life they documented in their Japanese-language YouTube channel, Seigo and Bren moved back to Japan in 2023. They continue to create content in order to normalize gay relationships by sharing slice-of-life videos with their growing audience. To learn more about life as a married gay couple in Japan, Metropolis sat down with Seigo & Bren. Seigo & Bren: We met on a Japanese gay dating app (which no longer exists) in 2015, and pretty much started dating the first time we met. We moved to the U.S. in 2017, and we didn't have many friends in the area we lived in, so we needed something fun to do together. We were good friends with another international couple who did YouTube videos, and we thought we'd give it a shot. We also saw a need for more real-life LGBTQ content in Japanese, and wanted to show how although we are a same-sex couple, we are also just your average couple doing the usual things every other couple does. S&B: In our case, making videos together often gives us opportunities to go out and do different things, and go to different places for content creation, which always feels like a date. One disadvantage could be when you have different ideas or opinions about how you want a certain project to go, you sometimes have to compromise or learn to let some things go. S&B: This is a very complicated question because it really depends on where you live in the U.S.. There are areas that are generally accepting, and areas that are not. There are good people everywhere, but I think location really plays a big part in this. Unfortunately, most places that are considered safe for gay couples are in bigger cities, which are also very expensive places to live. We would say that in 2025, Japan feels much safer. We don't have to worry about getting attacked in public in Tokyo or anywhere we go, whether verbally or physically, as we sometimes worried about in the U.S.. We've had homophobic slurs yelled at us while walking down the street in the U.S., for example. The culture in Japan is very non-confrontational, so it's hard to imagine something like this ever happening. And we've never had a bad experience after coming out to a Japanese person. The U.S. has the advantage of same-sex marriage, which unfortunately Japan does not (yet). But in times like this, even that doesn't feel granted in the future. Aside from equal marriage not being allowed, in our experience, the problems couples face in Japan are more or less inconveniences, compared to the sense of danger often felt by gay international couples in the U.S.. Japan feels very peaceful. Credit: MEADOW S&B: Our marriage is recognized by people in Japan, meaning that when we tell people that we're married, they accept it and treat us normally. But of course our marriage is not recognized by the government, so there are some challenges there. We submitted our marriage certificate when we applied for the Tokyo Partnership Program, which is definitely better than nothing. We're hopeful that Japan will recognize equal marriage in the future. Read our article on gay marriage in Japan for more information about the legalization status. S&B: With us being an international same-sex couple, it seems like it could be pretty difficult to have kids for the time being. We've talked about it before, and it would be nice to have the option in the future. For now, we're enjoying spoiling our five nieces and nephews! (laughs) S&B: Couples still have difficulties with being refused housing, which is ridiculous. There are other issues too, like hospital visitation rights (although this has been improving with the partnership programs) and financial worries. Many couples choose to make a living will and testament so their partner can inherit if something happens to them. S&B: We lived in Japan about 10 years ago (before going to the U.S.), and it feels totally different now. The public is much more aware that gay people exist in society, and there is overwhelming support for same-sex marriage nowadays. In 2015, it was never talked about. Now it's on the news a few times a month, and dramas about gay couples are very popular. It's probably much better for kids in school now too, with teachers being more educated about LGBT issues. We think things are really looking up for sexual minorities in Japan. Did you enjoy reading about Seigo & Bren's life as a married gay couple in Japan? Read more LGBTQ+ stories in Japan: Trans Youth in Japan: A Documentary Highlighting Their Struggles and Triumphs Based in Japan: Back to the World of XTRA Based in Japan: Being Gay in Japan with Tokyo BTM Check out our recommendations for LGBTQ+ representation in Japanese culture: 12 Japanese LGBTQ+ Films To Watch LGBTQ+ Anime That Strive To Get It Right 9 Influential Japanese LGBTQ+ Novels to Read
