Playfully Pink And Gold: Interview with Rokudenashiko

Although Igarashi admits to producing and distributing the data, she denies the accusations that her artworks are obscene, and she is prepared to fight her charges. In a society with a thriving sex industry and popular culture teeming with sexualized imagery, Japan’s values of gender equality can seem rather outdated and misogynistic. While the city of Kawasaki holds a famous annual family-orientated “Festival of the Steel Phallus”—a celebration of fertility featuring an exemplary parade of penis-shaped sculptures—the word “vagina” can hardly be spoken out loud without arousing social furor. Igarashi’s artistic intention is to empower women and liberate them from the social taboos of the vagina, to encourage more open and honest acceptance that a woman’s nether regions are just another natural part of the body.

Last week in Hong Kong, a tribute exhibition to raise support for Igarashi opened at non-profit art space Woofer Ten. “Gender, Genitor, Genitalia” is a crowd-funded project that resulted from the hard work of Hitomi Hasegawa, director of Hong Kong’s Moving Image Archive of Contemporary Art. Featuring the works of 11 artists in addition to that of Igarashi, the exhibition focuses on issues relating to feminist art, gender in the digital world, and the representation of genitalia in art. ArtAsiaPacific met with Igarashi, during her short few days in Hong Kong, to discuss her vagina art, its implications in Japan and her delightful meeting with Ai Weiwei in June.

As an artist you work under the pseudonym Rokudenashiko, which has been loosely translated as “good-for-nothing child.” How did this name come about and what statement are you trying to make with it?

Initially, I thought of the name just to use as a manga artist, so it wasn’t a very conscious decision. Usually manga artists make their pen-name kind of fun. Eventually, when I first showed my vagina art in Japan a few years ago, I [presented it under] the name “Rokudenashiko”; but people were dismissive of the name, which I thought was a really unusual response. Through this process [of using this pseudonym to show my art], I also found that [the Japanese] people held a derogatory attitude toward my vagina art, which made me want to figure out what was going on with this society and why they responded this way. As a result, I stuck with the name, “Rokudenashiko.”

In the past you underwent vaginal rejuvenation surgery, and now, through your art, your intention is to empower women and encourage them to connect with their own bodies. Can you share a little about your journey of self-discovery? What advice would you give to other women?

I did the operation, but without seriously thinking that I needed to change my body. It was an experience [I underwent] in agreement with my publishing company, [as a source of content] for making a manga [that I was writing for them]. When I was getting the operation, I was wondering what is considered normal and what is considered a beautiful vagina. The vagina is always hidden; we cannot see other people’s vagina. After talking to the doctors, I surgically changed my vagina to be what they thought fit the preference of the normal male: a neater, simple, almost minimal kind of shape. It was at this moment I realized that, in myself, I had internalized this kind of male gaze. After [the surgery], I participated in workshops with other women to make cast molds of vaginas, and I enjoyed creating these shapes. Now, I continue doing these activities to liberate the taboo behind the vagina and to point out how [Japanese] society is a really patriarchal and male-oriented world. The sex industry is all focused on men, and there is nothing for women. Women are always objectified and act as the passive player in sex. I think that’s totally wrong. I want to fight against that system.

I remember during my childhood if a man said “dick” or “penis” it was not a problem, but it was strictly prohibited for women to say “vagina” or “pussy,” as the latter is thought of as dirty—something you cannot touch or talk about, even though it’s just a natural part of the body. Why is it so? In Japanese there are several words used to express the vagina […] Every time I see words for vagina it’s always censored. For example manko is Japanese for pussy, but when I see manko it would be “ma-x-ko” or “ma-xx” or something like this. I wonder why.

Why do you think the penis is embraced but the vagina is not tolerated in Japan?

I think it symbolizes a patriarchal society. For example, sumo wrestling, which has existed for some 500 years, has a circular ring that is bordered by ropes. Females are not normally allowed to go in, even to this day, because they are considered dirty. So this patriarchal thinking goes way back to Japanese tradition. Another example in traditional Japanese sports is Kyudo, or Japanese archery. It’s a very old tradition, and is not only a sport but also a kind of performance. Nowadays, archery still takes place at shrines and temples, but female athletes still cannot participate in these performances, even if she is very skillful. This way of thinking has a long history.

What makes your work different than pornography?

It is different, because I think my artwork is meant for women to think about how the vagina is not dirty and there’s nothing to hide about it. It’s just a normal part of the body. That’s why I make vagina art. Also my impression of the work is fun, playful, pop, cute and colorful. I feel that a lot of existing feminist art have a strong impact, but they are oftentimes very heavy and serious—by using blood in their work, for instance. I want to change that.

What do you think needs to change about how society, Japan or globally, approaches the vagina?

When I was interviewed by Swedish media some time ago in Japan, I learned that Sweden is one of the most progressive countries when it comes to gender equality. So I asked the journalist how Swedish society came about this outlook. [The journalist] said that men are the same all over the world, but when women change, society changes.

That is why I keep making vagina art and doing related activities such as workshops. In the beginning there would always be guys who expected to see pornography, but recently the number of female fans have slowly increased. They’ve also said to me that from my works, including my manga, they’ve found out why they cannot say the word “vagina” in public.

You recently started a project called “Rokudenashiko Rental,” whereby you rent yourself out to anybody who signs up to the service for a fee. Could you tell me a little more about the project? Why did you decide to do it and what kind of “service” do customers expect from you?

It’s a very current project! Many people feel it’s interesting and these days, since I’m waiting for my court trial, I don’t have much to do. My lawyers do all the work. I used to write articles and draw cartoons, but since getting arrested and with publishing companies afraid of getting in trouble with the government, I don’t have many jobs at the moment. Rokudenashiko also means “useless” or “nothing for use”; and since I have time, I thought I would like to do something useless. I feel that nowadays in society it’s more and more conservative, like [everything is either] right or wrong, black or white. So to be able to do something really pointless and just have fun—I think it is good for society. That’s why I decided on the rental project. Here, people book appointments to spend time with someone whose name is “Rokudenashiko.” The services entail having a conversation, some social time together, but nothing about sex; and sometimes we eat and drink together. And if any policemen would like to use this service, they’ll get ten minutes for free!

In late 2013, a billboard designed to raise HIV awareness, installed in the gay neighborhood of Tokyo’s Shinjuku ward, was censored for featuring a topless muscular man in bulging underwear. His body and underwear were eventually covered against the wish of the artist. But everyday we see advertisements of both male and female models sporting swimwear and underwear, which go uncensored. What are your views on this? Has censorship become a form of discrimination?

It’s totally discrimination. I think it’s mainly based on classical values of men and women, and also family. It’s all conservative values; that men should work, while women should be at home caring for children. [These values imply that] there is only one model of happiness. I wonder why gay, transgender and transsexual people are discriminated against as a minority group. You may know what happened to Ryudai Takano at the Aichi Prefectural Museum last year. He openly supports gay people and artists. He is a photographer and [for this exhibition he displayed images] of naked men, including himself, posing together or next to each other in bed. Police came and they removed some of the photographs. Finally, the artist and the museum made a compromise where they used white sheets to cover the parts of the photographs [deemed offensive]. I think the government targets people who are socially weak.

In June this year you met with artist-activist Ai Weiwei in Beijing. What was your meeting like?

It was so cool! I happened to be looking for someone who has written some commentary about artists on trial, and it had to be an authorized professor or with similar credentials. I found out through some common friends about Professor Yoichi Maki from Saitama University, a specialist in Chinese contemporary art, and also that he was a supporter of my case. So I met Professor Maki and we became friends. Then Professor Maki told me he was going to Beijing to meet Ai Weiwei and invited me along, so I said yes!

At the time Ai still had no passport, but I did. He couldn’t travel, but I could. When we met I thought he was not only a really powerful artist, but also so nice, so I asked him why he can still have such a positive attitude under the conditions his government has put him in. Ai said that his passport is his vagina, and that he was trying to get his vagina back. He then said that maybe he will take my vagina boat and row out of China!

What do you hope to achieve through this exhibition in Hong Kong?

Japan is aware of how international communities perceive my case, so if in Hong Kong I can spread word about what’s happening to me, then the voices of the media and other supporters here may help my trial a lot. At the same time, in Japan, exhibitions such as this one are impossible, because they would violate the country’s obscenity law. Maybe the Japanese police would arrest me, the curator of the show, and the space also. So it’s very significant that we were able to realize this exhibition here in Hong Kong.

What projects are you currently working on?

Next year I will have a solo exhibition in Tokyo, in July, upon the two-year anniversary of my first arrest. It will have links to religion and old Japanese traditions. The exhibition space has a large room and two smaller spaces. One of the smaller rooms will be utilized and transformed into a prison cell. I was incarcerated for almost a month, and when I was let out the police gave me several personal things I used in my cell, such as my toothbrush and clothes, so those items will be displayed in my makeshift cell. Then I’m going to plan some talks and events in Tokyo for the exhibition. And if you are a policeman you will get a discount!

“Gender, Genitor, Genitalia–Rokudenashiko Tribute” is on view at Woofer Ten, Hong Kong, until September 20, 2015. 

Denise Tsui is assistant editor at ArtAsiaPacific.