Barazoku
| Editor | Bungaku Itō |
|---|---|
| Categories | Gay |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| First issue | 1971 |
| Final issue — Number |
2008 400 |
| Company | Daini Shobō |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
Barazoku (薔薇族?) is Japan's first male gay magazine commercially circulated. It began publication in July 1971 by Daini Shobō's owner's son and editor Bungaku Itō (伊藤 文學 Itō Bungaku?). It is Japan's oldest and longest running monthly magazine for gay men. However, it has ceased publication three times due to the publisher's financial hardships. In 2008, Itō has announced the 400th issue would be the final one. The title means "the rose tribe" in Japanese, hinted from King Laius' homosexual episodes in Greek mythology. The magazine has been printed in Japanese only.
Gay magazines in Japan, along with much gay culture, are segregated by "type"; most are aimed at an audience with specific interests. Barazoku, however, attempted to reach a broad audience and thus contained "a little of something for everybody". A typical issue of Barazoku had approximately 300 pages, including several pages of glossy colour and some black and white photographs of younger, fit men in their late teens and twenties (these photographs were censored in accordance with Japan's rules, which require the obscuring of genitals and pubic hair). Despite the inclusion of pornographic pictures, however, Barazoku was not a pornographic magazine.
The bulk of a typical issue of Barazoku was made up of articles and short stories, advice, how-tos, interviews, news, arts, and community listings. In comparison with other gay magazines like Badi, Barazoku typically had fewer pictures and less manga stories and news, which may have contributed to its demise.
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