Oya Soichi Library celebrates its 50th anniversary: "As long as people come to use it, we will remain open."

    Oya Soichi Library, renowned to be the first magazine library in Japan and holding about 800,000 volumes of magazines, celebrated its 50th anniversary on May 17. Through crowdfunding and donations, the library is able to keep its business running and they promised that "as long as there are people who will come to use the library, they will remain open."

    Located in Setagaya, Tokyo, it was established as a private library in 1971. Oya Soichi Library gets its name from the famous journalist and critic, Oya Soichi, and holds his archive collection. It also possesses about 800,000 volumes of 12,700 different types of magazines.

    Although the library decided not to hold a 50th anniversary event because of COVID-19, many came by looking for documents as soon as the library opened at 11 am.

    During peak times, the Oya Soichi Library gets more than 90,000 visitors annually. However, because of the widespread use of the internet, there has not been as many visitors and the library relies on the help of crowdfunding and new sponsors to keep it running.

    Nevertheless, the library does not only specialize in possessing an extensive collection of magazines, but it also updates its database of articles every year. The library also made a general catalog of its collection in conjunction with its 50th anniversary.

    Oya Eiko, Oya Soichi's third daughter and the chairwoman of this library, said, "In the era of both mass production and mass consumption, I think that the value of archives have become more significant. Even though maintaining the library will be difficult, as long as there are people coming to use the library, we will remain open. I believe that we can keep it open."

Source: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20210517/k10013035511000.html?utm_int=news-culture_contents_list-items_003

"We're here!": Organization from Ishikawa publishes a booklet with works by sexual and gender minorities

"My Own Step," comic published on the booklet.

It illustrates the real experiences of Mr. Kazuki, a transgender man.

Submitted by Nijihagu Ishikawa Hidamari no Kai

My body is

A girl.

My heart is

Is eight-tenths boy, two-tenths girl.

"Are you a boy? Or a girl?"

I'll try my best to answer this question just to be friendly.

But these same words,

If said to make fun of me,

Can cut to my heart.

Please stop making fun of me!

　　　　　◇

　This is a poem written by a grade two elementary student who had been experiencing gender dysphoria since they were young.

    LGBTQ individuals are everywhere around us, even in the Hokuriku region of Japan. This is a fact that many people should know. And for those in the closet, you are not alone. 

These are the sentiments that the LGBTQ individuals and their allies in Ishikawa put into this booklet.

    The booklet entitled "We're Here!: A Rainbow-Coloured Letter to You from Hokuriku," includes the poem above, and 12 other poems from the members of the Hidamari no Kai, which is an organization formed by LGBTQ individuals and their families located around the Hakusan city area. It features transgender people, gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. It showcases diverse sexualities, different age groups, and more.

　"People still don't think that LGBTQ people live around them here in the Hokuriku region. It takes courage to come out. But pretending someone you're not is just as tough. With this booklet, we hope to convey the message, 'Hey, we're also here.'" Ms. Yukiyo Ueda (植田幸代, 59), a midwife and the booklet coordinator, spoke for the contributors.

　Ueda has been teaching sex education at elementary and junior high schools for over 20 years. Gradually, children and parents began to ask her for advice regarding LGBTQ issues so she, along with her colleagues and other support groups, formed the organization Nijihagu Ishikawa in 2018.

　Last September, the government requested messages from the LGBTQ community, and the rest of the citizens expressed their interest to have those messages preserved in a booklet because their words were truly moving.

　In order to make the messages more accessible for children, members of the organization collaborated in creating two comic stories to impart their experiences and wisdom in the booklet.

　One of the illustrators was Mr. Kazuki (28). He was assigned female at birth, and now lives as a man. When he confided in his best friend, their calm reaction was a relief. It was this memory that he depicts in his comic "My Own Step." "You're not alone. There will always be someone who will understand you. This is the message I wanted to leave behind. For people like us, this is the most encouraging thing we need," Kazuki said. “It might take more time for people to gain awareness and be more understanding.” However, he pointed out, "At least people should understand that there are so many different genders out there."

　Ueda also said, "When you realize that you're different from someone else, there's a chance you could get hurt because of ignorance." Since the booklet was made for sexual and gender minorities, it will hopefully be a useful tool to hand to someone when you come out to them.

　The organization is aiming to finish the booklet at the end of June. Right now, they are raising money to cover production costs, etc. You can help through this link: https://camp-fire.jp/projects/view/397032 

Japanese article by Yasuhiro Takeda (竹田和博)

Source: https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASP576TP9P49PISC01F.html

Tokyo Olympics Committee is recruiting 200 sports medicine doctors without pay

The setting sun shining on the Olympic rings.
Shinjuku, Tokyo, Photo by Masahiro Ogawa

    The Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Committee needs sports medicine doctors on call for sickbays in different venues during the games. They announced that they are recruiting about 200 sports medicine doctors through the Japan Sport Association (JSPO) on May 3. According to the recruitment guidelines, there will be compensation for travel expenses, but the work is voluntary and without any recompense.

    Sports medicine doctors are licensed physicians with four years of experience and have undergone training under the JSPO. They support athletes by providing healthcare services, examining injuries, and administering treatment at venues as Olympic team doctors.

　Their list of duties include: first aid for heat stroke, treating injuries and illnesses, and handling people who might have contracted the COVID-19 virus. Doctors are expected to work for about three days, but they can also join for five days or more during the Olympics or the Paralympics. Each shift will be about nine hours. Applications are open until May 14.

　Initially, it was estimated that about 10,000 medical staff will be needed for the Olympics. According to sources from the government, stadiums and the Olympic village will need approximately 300 doctors and 400 nurses for each day. The Olympic Committee sent a request for hiring 500 nurses to the Japanese Nursing Association in April.

　People on social media expressed their criticisms about hiring doctors without pay during the resurgence of COVID-19 when the healthcare system is already strained. Some comments posted were: "Our hospitals right now are understaffed and underpaid, how can you ask them to work without compensation?" "The pandemic response is too slow!"

Japanese article by Shun Iwakabe

English Source: https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210503/p2a/00m/0sp/008000c

Source: https://mainichi.jp/articles/20210503/k00/00m/050/065000c

UNIQLO features a lesbian couple in a wonderful commercial for AIRism Innerwear

    UNIQLO released a commercial entitled "60 sec. 21SS Life and Wear/AIRism Innerwear," which portrayed a lesbian couple living happily together. (It features scenes like mixing natto on the dinner table and showing their everyday life.) When the couple visits the flower shop, the florist (played by Haruka Ayase) asks them a question the same way one would with a heterosexual couple. "Does it happen to be your anniversary?" she asks. After the scene when the florist picks a bouquet for them, Haruka Ayase narrates in the background: "All of the things they wanted to do, they did in casual wear. And that's all you need." As the couple holds hands, an onscreen text comes up, saying, "To a more open world."

　It was neither discriminatory or stereotypical, and there was no gross glorification. It depicted a real and ordinary couple happily living their lives in a world that celebrates their true selves. It was a truly wonderful commercial.

 
    I hope to see one for gay couples and transgender people!

Source: https://www.outjapan.co.jp/lgbtcolumn_news/news/2021/4/11.html