Do you know?
"Aromantic Asexual" March 22, 17:26
"I don't have a romantic feeling for others" (Aromantic)
"I'm not sexually attracted to others" (Asexual)
Many people may hear this word for the first time.
"I have emotions and I know" I like "other than romance. I cherish and love my family and friends.
" Mr. Nakaken (real name: Ken Nakamura), who is a member of the program's examination team, says:
Mr. Nakaken is working to spread his understanding of various sexualities, including his own aromantic sexuality.
Aiming for a society where everyone can live in their own way, acknowledging diversity.
Click here for the drama "Koisenu Futari", which is based on the theme of romantic sexuality.
Days when I don't understand "romance" when I was a student
Born in Kobe, Nakaken grew up with his parents, sister and his family of four.
When she was a student, she had friends regardless of gender, but she didn't really understand the rumors that "Mr. XX likes Mr. XX", and she could get into the conversation well. He said he couldn't.
However, she didn't even think that "romance" existed at this time, so she rarely got sick of romance.
When she was in junior high school, she was once confessed to her by a girl student she was close to at the time.
She thought, "She was invited to shop," and she responded obediently, "OK!" Because she had an appointment.
Not thinking of her dating, she would eventually feel her distance if she was playing with her as usual.
She was later told by her friends that she was "sick of her when she started dating and she was tired of it."
She searches a lot online and finds the word "(aromantic) asexual" (the word "aromantic" was rarely used in Japan at the time).
The words made it clear that she was moody.
And she self-identified when she was 17 years old.
After that, she often made videos and held off-party meetings where sexual minority parties gathered as members of NPOs to disseminate information about various sexualities.
Diversity in aromantic sexuality ...
Mr. Nakaken who participated in the NPO "Nijiiro School", which is active in the motto "A place and community for all sexual minorities".
On this day, an exchange meeting for sexual people was held.
Looking at the name tags of the participating people, there is a column for writing the sexuality that they identify as well as their nickname.
Some write "Aromantic (abbreviation for aromantic sexual)", "Roma asexual (have a romantic feeling for others and are not sexually attracted)" and "Lithromantic (although they are attracted to romance)". , I don't want you to return that feeling, or I don't care about becoming a partner) ”and various sexualities are written.
Asexual is not uniform.
At the time of the meeting, Mr. Nakaken tries to accept people of various sexualities without being too particular about the definition of words in as much detail as possible.
Even if their sexuality, background, and values are slightly different, we believe that we can share the feeling of strangeness and loneliness that we feel in our daily lives, and sometimes "a certain story" and complaints.
In the drama "Koi Senu Futari," in which Nakaken participates in the examination, there is a scene of an exchange meeting in which six people involved in Aroma Asek also appear.
When shooting, the team including her Nakaken emphasized the "diversity" of Aroma Asek.
The two stars, played by Yukino Kishii and Issei Takahashi, are "self-identifying" "aromantic sexual" and are seeking a partner to seek a "new family shape" (Aromantic sexual). Start living together because of a relationship).
On the other hand, the proof team, including Mr. Nakaken, thought that it was necessary to draw various aroma aseks that were different from the two leading characters.
In fact, some romantic and sexual people are "fun to live alone," "people who are confused about self-identification," and "romantic and sexual people (who have a romantic feeling for others and are sexual." There are various people such as "I'm not attracted to" "and" partner relationships that don't live together ".
"These people are also part of, not all, of the aromantic and sexual diversity," he said.
Aromantic sexual diversity seen in the data
In collaboration with researchers, Nakaken has confirmed the diversity of aromanticism, sexuality, and other surrounding sexuality (Aro / Ace) through a large-scale questionnaire survey.
For example, in "Distribution of disgust for a specific act in Aroma Asek", 75% of people feel disgust for "kissing", while 27.9% feel disgust for "holding hands". 22.4% do not have it.
In the drama, Sakiko, who plays Kishii, tries to hold her hand, but Takahashi refuses, but that is also a scene that depicts diversity.
As for "Do you want a partner who is not romantic or sexual?", More than half of the respondents answered "I want one partner."
It turns out that there are people who want a partner, whether they are romantically or sexually attracted.
On the other hand, 21.7% answered that they did not want it.
From this point of view, it can be seen that there is diversity in aromantic sexuality.
In the drama, Mr. Nakaken thought that it would be difficult to see "people who enjoy living alone" because the main story is about the "family" of the two main characters played by Yukino Kishii and Issei Takahashi.
So, in the scene of the Aroma Asek exchange meeting, there are people who are "fun and happy every day without a partner" and "family ... I honestly don't know. One person is lonely or wants a partner". There is a line of expression that reflects the team's desire to convey the diversity of the parties.
Diversity that is different for each person.
Nakaken and his team are trying not to create a stereotypical image of "Aromantic and asexual people like this" through the media.
Aiming for a society that can be understood by each other
On February 12, Nakaken was heading to Komazawa University.
With Professor Hiromi Matsunobu, who specializes in "family sociology" and "about modern family and gender," this is to exchange opinions with students about the diversity of sexuality such as aromantic sexuality and modern society, using drama as the theme. ..
During the question and answer session while looking back on the scene of the drama, some students asked about the dialogue as a stereotype of modern society.
A scene in which her colleague asks Sakiko, who is single in her twenties, "Are you continuing your work character rather than love?"
Mr. Takumu Nakagawa, a third-year student, said he had a question, "There is also the word" marriageable age, but why is it better to have a romance among young people? "
On the other hand, Mr. Nakaken said, "There is something like a social convention that regards love, marriage, and childbirth as a unit." People in their teens to thirties are forced to "force" romance. The background is the history of making it a happy and general form of society. "
Mr. Nakaken's answer, which he described as "forcing romance," gave me a sense of how aromantic people perceive romance.
Professor Matsunobu also said, "I felt a little uncomfortable when men talked to women. I feel that working for men is more acceptable than love, but for women. It feels like women are "forced" when it comes to work rather than love or not getting married. "
According to a questionnaire conducted by Nakaken and others, it is known that there are a certain number of people with aroma asek who are disgusted with romantic stories.
67.1% of people feel disgusted when they hear their love story, while 26.1% do not feel disgusted with anything, including the love story of others.
Mr. Nakaken wants to know widely through such data that love stories are not something that everyone can enjoy or like.
I want to eliminate the lack of understanding of sexual minorities
Also, when Sakiko came out to her family in the drama that she was romantic and sexual, her sister's husband and teacher Daisuke said, "That's LGBT-like, I'm teaching students in class." Some wanted to think about the scene.
Yahiro Heianyama, a second-year college student, said, "I could feel the belief that Daisuke was a teacher and he was teaching in class, so he would understand."
Kana Kita, who played the role of Sakiko's younger sister in Daisuke's wife, thought that even after the shooting was over, there might be unconscious remarks like Daisuke in modern society. That is.
She then expressed her opinion as a way of dealing with people of various sexualities.
"No one can understand others 100%, but when I wondered what I could do, I thought I could" snuggle up ". And maybe I'm arrogant to try any more. Maybe, ”
Mr. Nakaken also finds it difficult to fully understand the sexuality of others.
In line with Mr. Kita's remarks, "I am also a party to romantic sexuality, but the opposite romantic or sexuality, that is, having a romantic feeling or being sexually attracted, is completely unclear. I don't understand, but I feel that I can snuggle up in it. "
Oshida, the director who was in charge of planning the drama, said that he dared to set Daisuke's profession as a teacher while consulting with the scriptwriter in this scene.
He wanted to argue that there are actually many people who are interested in knowing by having knowledge, such as school teachers, and that having as knowledge is different from understanding in the true sense of the word. "The background was said.
Nakaken also says that education from an early age is very important for understanding the diversity of sexuality.
"For example, in education, if you are declared to like the opposite sex," Oh, you only like the opposite sex, "or" everyone loves you in the first place. " Therefore, I think it will be necessary to change the program related to sexuality in the field of education. "
However, aromantic and sexual are still less well known than LGBT.
In fact, a survey of Osaka citizens found that almost the same percentage of gay and lesbian (0.7%), who are widely recognized in society, identify themselves as sexual (0.8%). ..
(Source: Hiramori and Kamano 2020)
Professor Matsunobu also said, "There are as many sexual minorities as left-handed people." Has been done.
The society that Nakaken is aiming for is ...
Throughout the drama, there are often scenes in which the two main characters, who are both romantic and sexual, are worried and suffering due to lack of understanding of their surroundings.
He added that such a scene is just one example, and I want people to know that both aromantic and sexual people have different worries and diversity.
Mr. Nakaken
"I've been thinking about my own sexuality for a long time. I thought I could understand it, but I've been living by repeating something a little different. So when I was asked about sexuality, at the moment I can only say that self-identification is so, but I think that's fine. The name and definition of sexuality are important, but more than that, each person, including those who are considered to be majority, has different sexuality. I would be happy if the premise that there is a gradation spreads. "
Aiming for a society where everyone can live in their own way, acknowledging diversity.
Nakaken's activities will continue.
Aromantic sexuality is also introduced on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/nhk_sdgs
(Leave the NHK site)
The drama "Koi Senu Futari" is being delivered on NHK Plus until 11:14 pm on March 28th.
References Hiramori, D.and Kamano, S. (2020) Asking about Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Social Surveys in Japan: Findings from the Osaka City Residents' Survey and Related Preparatory Studies, Journal of Population Problems, Vol.76, No .4, pp.443-466.
4th Production Unit Director
Yuta Oshida
Joined in 2013
After working at the Hiroshima Bureau, he
is in charge of the current morning drama "Okaeri Mone" etc.