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"My daily doubts and concerns are unexpectedly connected to conversations about gender."

Kei Onishi, 4th year School of Culture, Media and Society

Toyama Campus Toyama Hill

Ms. Onishi started a podcast channel called "Namisen" while studying gender (*1) at School of Culture, Media and Society. With the theme of "talking about gender," we deliver a podcast and YouTube once a week. On campus, he is actively involved in activities such as planning events for up to 300 people together with other staff members at Gender and Sexuality Center. We asked them about how they became interested in gender, their activities, and their future plans.

(*1) Gender differences created socially and culturally

--Please tell us how you became interested in gender.

Since I was little, I was very active and assertive, so people around me often told me, ”You're strong-willed,'' ”You're a strong-willed girl.'' I've always wondered why boys don't talk about it, but I get called "strong-minded'' just because I express my opinion.'' When I was researching where to go to university, I learned that there seems to be something that can resolve the feelings I had as a child that I couldn't express in words, and that I could study it at Waseda University's School of Culture, Media and Society, Media and Society. From there, I decided on Waseda as my school of choice, and happily enrolled. I was able to start learning about gender.

--What was it like actually learning about gender?

When I started learning about gender, I felt like my previous misgivings completely changed and my perspective became clearer. Waseda students include Keiko Atsuta (part-time lecturer School of Culture, Media and Society Media and Media Studies), Noritaka Moriyama (Associate Professor Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences and Sciences), Arisa Iwakawa (Associate Professor Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences and Sciences), and Keiko Kusano (Professor Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences). We have an endless number of teachers who specialize in gender, feminism, and queer studies, so you can experience multiple perspectives other than your own in a variety of classes. Thanks to the teachers at Waseda University, I was able to self-reflect from multiple perspectives, such as "My thoughts are not absolute'' and "My thoughts may be harmful to someone else.'' I think.

There are many gender-related stickers on the computer, including one expressing ALLY (Supporter. At Gender and Sexuality Center, sexual minority supporters are called ALLY).

――And now you are distributing your own podcast and YouTube about gender.

I entered the university in 2020, just as the new coronavirus infection was beginning to spread. Entrance Ceremony was postponed, classes were held online, and my university life was far from what I had imagined. In such a case, "Media theory 1 I was shocked by the words Professor Minako Okamuro (Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences) said during the lecture, "If you find what you can do in this situation, your life will be enriched.'' It was true that what had happened couldn't be helped, so I decided to do something that could only be done in this situation, so I started a podcast channel called "Namisen'' at the end of my first year. With the theme of "talking about gender," we deliver podcasts and YouTube once a week.

When we started streaming, we asked people on Instagram if they would like to do a podcast with us, and we had friends from middle school and high school who were interested, as well as friends of friends, and now we have eight college students. It is operated by I don't talk about difficult academic topics, but about familiar topics such as TV dramas, Disney, dating apps, and going home for the New Year, so I hope a wide variety of people will listen to my talk. I would be happy if many people became interested in gender and sexuality (*2).

(*2) Sexual orientation and other aspects of gender.

Episode 70: "About the manga I've been reading lately." It is said that the casual questions and doubts that people feel in their daily lives are surprisingly connected to issues of gender and sexuality.

――Please tell us about a particularly memorable episode on the “Namisen” channel.

Previously, there was an episode on the "Namisen" channel where I talked about self-pleasure (*3) (45th episode "Self-Pleasure ①"), and I was surprised at how many views this episode had. In Japanese society, it is still considered taboo for women to talk about their sexual desires. I was also embarrassed to talk about it, but I think that this feeling itself has been created socially, with women's sexual desires being treated as something that should be hidden or something that doesn't exist. On the other hand, the idea that it is normal for men to have sexual desire is also an imprinted stereotype, which may be far removed from each individual's true feelings. It's meaningful for ordinary college students, rather than experts or famous influencers, to talk about things they're really interested in but haven't been able to talk about with anyone before, as part of their everyday topics. I think. I hope that through the "Namisen" channel, people will gain a new perspective that it's okay to talk about sensitive topics that they previously thought were difficult to share with others.

(*3) The act of touching one's own genitals or sensitive areas to obtain pleasure. It is said that it not only satisfies sexual desire, but also has benefits for relaxation, stress relief, beauty, and health.

“Let’s go to the 63rd demo♪” Distribution image from YouTube “Namisen” channel (Mr. Onishi is on the top right)

--At the university, you also work as a student staff member at Gender and Sexuality Center, right?

Poster used at the event. Onishi served as the host on the day. "I was nervous, but it was a very valuable time for people who were interested in movies and LGBTQ+ issues to come together and have a serious discussion." (Image provided by Gender and Sexuality Center)

Gender and Sexuality Center is a place that anyone can freely use as a place for students, including sexual minorities such as LGBTQ+, and all people interested in gender and sexuality. When I was wondering if there was anything I could do to deepen my studies outside of class, I learned about Gender and Sexuality Center and happened to be recruiting student staff, so I applied. This is a place where my world has expanded greatly, as I am able to plan events that are related to things that I am interested in.

I have planned a number of events so far, but one that stands out to me is the one held in 2022 called "Talk Session: Future Cinema and LGBTQ+ Thoughts by Directors and Researchers.'' We planned and held the event together with other staff members, with the theme of "ALLY x Movies" and the aim of providing an opportunity to think about what it means to watch a video work from the perspective of an ALLY.

Guest speakers included film director Takeshi Tokaibayashi, who directed and wrote the screenplay for the film "The Fish with One Sleeve" (released in 2021), Dr. Arisa Iwakawa (Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences Associate Professor), and Dr. Yutaka Kubo (Kanazawa University, School of Human and Social Studies Associate Professor). The number of participants reached 300, and it was truly a happy time for me to be able to talk with so many people about the films I am interested in and my dream of working in the film industry.

"If you feel interested, please feel free to come and visit Gender and Sexuality Center." (Courtesy of Gender and Sexuality Center)

--Please tell us about your dreams and prospects for the future.

I want to create a country where the next generation can live with peace of mind, and I want to improve the current society as well. It may be very abstract and too big, but that's my dream. Can I do it? I feel like the power of chatting to spread the word is very strong.

Even after I graduate, I plan to continue using the "Namisen" channel as a place where I can share my everyday questions and concerns. Through this broadcast, I would like to provide an opportunity to make the world a little bit better. We hope that by talking about what we think about every day, such as ``this is how we want our society to be, and this is what we want our country to be like,'' more people will become interested in gender, politics, and social issues. We will continue our activities.

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