It¡¯s a Sunday night, and Eagle Tokyo Blue, a nightclub in Shinjuku¡¯s Ni-chome neighborhood, is filled to the brim with a raucous crowd fired up for the Tokyo Kiki Lounge. A rotating panel of judges sits at one end of the room; in front of them is a T-shaped runway for dancers and pageant contestants. On either side, there are throngs of ball-goers, sitting and standing, screaming and waving their hands.
In the club¡¯s entry area, I meet a 20-something trans boy from the United States ¡ª fresh on testosterone, a hint of dark fuzz starting to form on his upper lip. He¡¯s bouncing with excitement.
¡°I had no idea this was going on!¡± he shouts over the noise. ¡°It¡¯s my last night in Japan. I was just strolling through Ni-chome (known as Tokyo¡¯s LGBTQ neighborhood) and saw a bunch of people outside the club, so I came in. I¡¯m so glad! I didn¡¯t know Japan had a space like this!¡±
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