A Third Gender: Beautiful Youths in Japanese Prints

Beautiful youths—or wakashu—were a “third gender” in Japan during the Edo period (1603–1868). These young males had an androgynous appearance and variable sexuality, attracting both men and women. The Japan Society explores the role of the wakashu with an exhibition of paintings, woodblock prints, luxury objects and personal ornaments that helps put the idea of “gender performance and sexual expression” into historical context.