[hanabiwings]

In my understanding, conceptualizations of gender must be strictly culture-bound and do not necessarily have anything to do with instinct or differences that can be explained genetically or biologically. In other words, we are raised to be a boy or a girl by the general precepts of society, which are shared rules that are held in slightly different ways by each individual dependent upon his or her experiences, inborn intelligence and preferences, and the influence and training of others, especially adults whom the individual held as gender role models. Of course, this is a generalization, and there are many shades of gender on a spectrum that certainly do not conform to either the contemporary vision of "male" or "female." That saying, a majority of people would likely profess to be predominately either masculine or feminine. And cultural artifacts and phenomena are often identified as masculine or feminine as are males and females.

The reason that an understanding of gender as culture-bound, in my opinion, is that different cultures have disparate views with regard to what is acceptably "masculine" and what is acceptably "feminine." Often, persons who violate the boundaries are marginalized to some extent due to the cognitive dissonance experienced by those who encounter them. That is: a male who does not fit the frame of conventional masculinity may be tolerated up to the extent that his actions or preferences cause those who encounter him to feel at a loss as to how to categorize and classify him, and subsequently interact with him.

In the case of Hamasaki Ayumi, the views of the "average" westerner and the "average" Japanese may be disparate with regard to how fans are to be viewed. While it is obvious from data presented at such awards shows as the Nihon Record Taishou and 33 Million Vote that Hamasaki Ayumi's demographic is centered on women, there are numerous possible causes. She has been identified as a fashion leader to varying degrees since 1999 (LOVEppears x appears release), and certainly the "kawaii-kei" appeal of both her style and the "product" (i.e. persona) that she has created are undeniable.

Nevertheless, if we examine her music, we see a much more varied view of what it is to be a "young person" and a "woman." In fact, Hamasaki did not make overt her gender and other such constructs until possibly her third album with the song "girlish." Until that point, many of her songs did not overtly address the gender of the singer/narrator. In fact, some of the lyrics in her second album use the masculine first-person singular pronoun "boku." For example, "and then" and "immature" feature this pronoun. Still, it can be surmised from the stance taken from many of the songs, including "poker face" that Hamasaki does conform in many ways to the sensibilities of a young woman as conceptualized by contemporary Japanese culture. And since then, she has more overtly referred to her own gender in such songs as "my name's WOMEN", "honey", and so on. The "kawaii-kei" factor has increased at times, especially in concert performances and other endeavors she has set out upon, including the production of 'ayu-pan' and her persona on the "ayu-ready?" television program.

As for the fan base, when surveying the crowds at a concert in Japan, I was surprised to see such a varied demographic. There were everyone from salarymen to older women (like my grandmother's age) to young couples who both looked like "gyaru" culture members (i.e. ko-gal and gyaru-o [lit. 'gal-style guy']). So, I don't think that Hamasaki or her fan-base can be labeled by westernized notions of masculinity or femininity; she does not exist primarily in such a sphere.

Hamasaki is idolized by women as a fashion model and charismatic icon (see, for example, the SUPER-TV special from 2000). Girls in their early 20s seemed to identify very personally with not only her fashion but also her outlook on life. They empathized with her lyrics. As for men, it is conceivable that Hamasaki is seen as an idealized girlfriend. It is not mistake that many men listen and have listened to idol singers in Japan for many years. Matsuda Seiko has a very large male fan base and was seen as the dream girl for many years. Kudou Shizuka was more the "girl next door" and also had a large male fan base despite the fact that her songs were "cutesy" and she was a member of O-nyanko Kurabu.

So, it may be that the appeal of the pop idol to men in Japan is much more culturally accepted as a matter of course due to the fact that idols are viewed as "kawaii-kei" and perhaps "idealized female figures." Of course, this does not mean that men may not feel embarrassed or be seen as idol chasers for listening to pop music. Still, I would say that it is likely that the Japanese tolerance for permeable gender boundaries is much higher than in the west. This is seen very strikingly in men's fashion magazines and by examining the number of personal care and beauty products that are available for men in Japan but not in western retail outlets.

Anyway, I personally do not feel effeminate for liking Hamasaki Ayumi or her music. In fact, I think that it is rather normal to listen to an idol who has been so well-known and well-loved for the past decade. Nearly all my friends in Japan own at least one of her singles and/or one of her albums. And I have no qualms with allowing people to know that I am listening to her on my iPOD or on my car stereo while driving in the city. I listen to a very eclectic blend of music of which Hamasaki's songs are only one part. But I have to say that her compositions make up a majority of the songs on my playlist. I admire her lyrics and her resolve to be an individual despite adversity both in her personal life and in the spotlight. She has not been uncriticized by people in the media (e.g. wide shows, Wada Akiko, etc.) but continues to do the work she loves and live as she thinks is best. I am more apt to think of her as a former yankii with a rebellious attitude who likes to dress up and likes cute things than as an effeminate pop star. But perhaps that is because I have read a lot of her interviews and listened to what she has to say on television. If I had just seen her without knowing much about her, I would have probably assumed her to be an idol much like Amuro Namie during the mid-90s or Kahala Tomomi in the late-90s. But she is obviously quite different when examining both the length of her career and the numerous ways in which she has challenged not only gender norms but also cultural biases against women, even as she perpetuates some of the stereotypes of "kawaii-kei" culture. It is perhaps due to the fact that she is fully aware of such stereotypes that she has begun more and more to introduce elements of cute into her concerts and the like. While in her first concert tours there weren't such flourishes of pink or songs about "my honey" or "all you cute boys and girls," she appears comfortable enough in her numerous cultural roles to begin writing about such aspects of herself today.