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Paper short abstract

There is no particular dominant masculinity in contemporary Japanese society. This presentation gives an overview of the history of dominant styles of masculinity in Japan. It reports on an opinion survey of 80 university students on current perceptions of the “manosphere” and of key gender issues.

Paper long abstract

In the work of Mikanagi Yumiko, five historical periods are analysed in terms of dominant styles of masculinity and Japan’s role in global society. “Hai kara,” “Ban kara” “Kyoyoushugi/Literati”, “Soldier” and “Sarariiman” are the five categories of note. This presentation explains the five styles that are delineated and why it is still not possible to identify a particular dominant masculinity in contemporary Japanese society. The presentation also reports on data from an opinion survey of 80 university students who responded to items on current perceptions of key masculinities issues in Japan. Though trends of gender style remain in a period of transition, this paper predicts the most likely outcomes in the near future. Particular reference is made to the rise of hyper-masculine influencers on social media platforms – the “manosphere.” If hyper-masculinities have exerted significant influence over young men around the world, can we expect to see similar developments in Japan today? It seems most likely that any new style of masculinity that gains dominance will follow the traditional pattern of harmonization of elements of both “hard” and “soft” masculinity, but the issue of emphasis still remains to be seen.

Keywords: dominant masculinity; history; survey; “manosphere”; gender roles