A 1960s trial where women fought for surgery rights before 'transgender' existed in Japanese.
1960s Japan—economic boom, Olympic pride, and a crackdown on “public morals.” An anti-prostitution law targets women but spares male sex workers, the so-called “blue boys.” When police arrest the doctor performing their sex reassignment surgeries, the sensational “Blue Boy Trial” begins. Three transgender women take the stand, igniting a national debate on identity, medicine, and happiness—long before the language of LGBT existed. Though the court ruled surgery legal, the verdict cast a shadow: no such operations would occur in Japan for 29 years. Half a century later, this buried history still reverberates in the lives of sexual minorities.
Acting
Nakagawa's testimony scenes—controlled devastation in every breath.
Direction
Iizuka refuses sensationalism; the camera stays respectful, never lurid.
Production
Meticulous 1960s Tokyo recreation, down to the courtroom wood grain.
Director
Kashou Iizuka
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The real Blue Boy Trial documents were classified until 2019; Iizuka spent three years petitioning archives access.
The film's release coincided with Japan's 2024 Supreme Court ruling on transgender sterilization requirements—history's unfinished conversation.
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