[PHOTOS] Meet the men of Yokohama

Elska is a project centered on traveling around the world, meeting a selection of everyday local guys, and introducing their city and their lives to readers through honest photography and personal stories. Below, photographer Liam Campbell shares exclusively with GayCities a selection of photos and behind-the-scenes commentary about some of the lovely men he met in Yokohama, Japan, for the latest issue…

Ryoji S

Each issue of Elska is made in a different city, and of the 46 issues we’ve made so far, Yokohama was the most difficult yet in terms of being able to find local guys willing to participate. Although I was aware that Japan could be a conservative place, I let my notions of the country as one of the most modern and forward-thinking places on the planet assure me that it would be a good idea to make an Elska there. But once I arrived, I got more rejection than I’ve ever encountered.

It’s not that people were rejecting my work; it was more that they kept giving various reasons why they personally couldn’t be part of it. Excuses such as their family or boss not approving or that they found themselves “too ugly to be in a magazine” were frequent. Luckily, however, we successfully created our Elska Yokohama issue, which included photos and stories from twelve local men.

One of the first men we met was Ryoji. He wasn’t really worried about his family’s reaction, insisting that attitudes towards “gay stuff” were evolving in Japan. And he wasn’t worried about his workplace either because he worked for an American company. What he was worried about was posing shirtless in public. Doing this was his idea, but it took a lot of time to finally muster up the courage to do that scene. And I had to be very quick with my camera too, because as soon as anyone would walk nearby, he’d quickly hide and throw a blanket around himself. I wondered why he had brought a blanket with him… that was why!

Click through for more photos of Yokohama’s men.

Ky S

I originally chose to feature Yokohama as our first Japanese city instead of Tokyo because I love the idea of choosing less obvious places. I find it exciting to discover somewhere where there’s more of the unknown to discover, and I like the idea that my publication could be the only queer publication made in / dedicated to that particular city.

Yokohama is, however, the second-biggest city in Japan, and it’s often described as the most diverse city in the country. This is something my experience can attest to. Of the dozen men we met, a majority of them were not ethnically Japanese. Ky, for example, originally came from Vietnam, and in the story he wrote for the issue, he described how he was finding it difficult to fit in and make friends but that he was still glad he moved to Japan. However, I can reveal that Ky decided to return to Vietnam after shooting this issue. If we ever make an Elska in that country, we hope Ky can be a part of it and be a rare two-time elskan!

Yosh N

One of the things that Yokohama is most famous for is having the largest Chinatown in Japan. Multiple guys suggested we shoot here, but since Yosh was the first to mention it, he got to have the honor. However, although it was a fabulously colorful and interesting area, it was not easy to do a photo shoot there. It was teeming with people, meaning that loads of shots were spoiled by people other than Yosh stealing the spotlight. We had to sneak into some back alleys and car parks to make the location work and keep Yosh as the focus.

Yosh isn’t Chinese but of Okinawan origin, which he proudly mentions in the story he wrote for the issue. Okinawa is the southernmost island of Japan, and it’s definitely a place we’d like to feature if we ever return to Japan. However, we hope it’s not so difficult to find participants there—perhaps Yosh can help scout!

Tyler J

Just south of Yokohama city limits is the town of Yokosuka, which is dominated by a large US naval base. When we got to Yokohama and opened our gay apps to search for participants, we ended up chatting with two American servicemen based there, both of whom wanted to be part of the issue. We couldn’t find time to meet with one, but with the other, we found just enough time for a quick shoot in a tiny room and a brief chat. Tyler J, a huge Japanophile, said he joined the Navy specifically because he hoped to one day get the chance to live in Japan. And as luck would have it, his first posting was to Yokosuka.

Tyler J’s inclusion in this issue has made a lot of waves. Some complained about there being a white guy in a Japanese issue as if an Asian man wouldn’t be welcome in one of our issues made in a European city. But Tyler has also been subject to lots of love as well, particularly from those who love seeing someone with a body like theirs, a body not often seen in other gay media. Our policy has always been that if you live in the destination we’re featuring, you are welcome, and everyone is equally welcome regardless of origin, race, age, body type, whatever!

Kazuta S

Of all the men we met in Japan, the one who best revealed the difficulty of being gay in this country was Kazuta. In the story he contributed to our issue, he talked about the immense pressure from society to conform to some form of respectability and how being gay, as well as being in a gay magazine, is not an honorable thing. He also talks about harsh beauty standards in Japan, especially within the LGBTQ+ community, where he ends up feeling too old, too hairy, and too fem.

His story isn’t all negative; it’s quite a positive read overall. Kazuta is a glass-half-full guy who does what he can to enjoy this life. While he wanted to point out that Japanese culture can be oppressive in some respects, there’s also a strong focus on perseverance and gratitude. He made sure to express how grateful he was to have a job he liked and a great set of friends… the only real problem was his love life, but he said he tries to overcome that by dating foreign men who seemed to appreciate him as he is!

The new Japan-dedicated issue, ‘Elska Yokohama,’ is available in a limited edition print format and in an electronic version. A companion e-zine called ‘Elska Ekstra Yokohama‘ is also available and contains hundreds of pages of bonus outtakes, behind-the-scenes tales, and even more local boys and stories.