The possibilities of research on "fujoshi" in Japan

Abstract

Today, people who are referred to as fujoshi exist in every part of the world. Especially in Japan, many women admit to liking genres such as yaoi and boys' love (BL). In the new millennium, the word fujoshi has traveled beyond fannish circles and has come into general use in Japanese popular media, reflecting the fact that fujoshi are no longer necessarily an underground phenomenon. Here, I trace the origins of the word fujoshi, consider whether reading of male-male romance was established before the word appeared, examine research on fujoshi in Japan, and finally look at why fujoshi have become an object of study.