Until recently the majority of sexual minority studies on Japan have been conducted by sociologists or historians. However, analyses of sexual minorities and queer cultures employing literary criticism (for instance, Kuroiwa 2008; Angles 2011; Vincent 2012), critical theories (for instance, Shimizu 2008; Mackintosh 2010; Suganuma 2012), linguistics (for instance, Maree 2007), and cinema criticism (for instance, Kanno 2011) are increasing. In addition, many queer activists, lawmakers, writers, and celebrities alike continue to articulate their concerns and experiences in a variety of media forms, including books, films, and personal websites. It is through critical dialogues between these different forms of queer media that sexual minority studies in Japan has been developed and will continue to shed light on past memories, present conditions, and possible futures concerning sexual minorities in Japan and beyond.
The dominance of male perspectives and the commercial power disproportionately allocated to gay men has been criticised as a form of gender bias within sexual minority studies in Japan. Much more research is necessary to comprehend the life experiences and conditions of minority members within sexual minorities, such as lesbians, female-to-male transgenders, and bisexual women. Regional bias is as problematic as gender bias within sexual minority studies in Japan. Different stories need to be told, for instance, about lesbian women who reside in metropolitan cities and those in rural areas. The monolithic category of ‘Queer Japan’ always needs to be rendered suspect, as it undermines various aspects of and diverse conditions facing Japan’s sexual minorities.
Finally, sexual minority studies in Japan are in critical need of productive dialogue with studies of and activisms by different and yet related social groups who suffer discrimination on the grounds of religion, ethnicity or disability. Moreover, as globalisation continues to affect the lives of sexual minorities across the world, comparative studies on Japanese queer cultures in relation not only to Anglophone cultures, but also to those of other parts of the world, including the Asian region, as well as South America, Eastern Europe, and Africa, are imperative. Cross-referencing of all sorts of geographical and cultural diversity is required in order to further develop sexual minority studies on Japan.