Hajime Takeda

Hajime Takeda (武田肇), born 1943 in Tokyo, is a poet and photographer who has published photo books featuring young boys and boy choirs. He also publishes a magazine series called Ganymede: The magazine of Ganymede Society which includes the work of many different poets. It includes Mr. Takeda's many poems, tankas, and essays, and the subject is often about boy love. Occasionally the magazine has included the photography of Wilhelm von Gloeden and Gugilelmo Plushchow and a brief biography on each photographer. As of December 2016, the magazine is currently on it's 60th issue.

Works of interest

Title Translation Publisher Release date 『半ズボンの神話』 Legend of the Shorts 第二書房 1972 『少年たち』 Boys 第二書房 1973 『稚児のメルヘン』 Chigo fairytale 第二書房 1973 『ヒヤシンスの王』 Queer Kings Born of Hyacinth マルス (Mars) 1981 『ゑとらるか : 詩集』 Draw a picture: A poetry anthology 沖積舎 1986 『少年聖歌隊』 Boychoir 東京音楽社 1987 『京土産』 Kyou-miyage 太安堂 1993 『ガニメデ』 Ganymede 銅林社(Dorinsha) 1　Apr. 1994~present 『石山』 Ishiyama 銅林社(Dorinsha) 1996 『ディテール』 Detail 銅林社(Dorinsha) 1999

Chigo Fairytale and inclusion in Barazoku, Japan's first gay magazine

Takeda's works were included in Barazoku, Japan's first gay magazine. According to Bungaku Ito, the creator of Barazoku,

「フィクションの小説、読物なら少年が登場してきても、これは法の対象にはならない。だからぼくは廃刊前の『薔薇族』誌上では、少年の好きな人々への読物をずっと載せ続けてきた。しかし、残念ながら復刊後の『薔薇族』はぼくの主張は通らず、少年愛者向けの読物はまったくない」 ー伊藤文學 "Fictional stories and reading material featuring boys is not against the law. Therefore, before Barazoku stopped being published, I published reading material that boy lovers would enjoy. However, unfortunately for the reissue of Barazoku my requests did not go through, and there is nothing for boy lovers in the reissue." -Bungaku Ito

Where to read

While the books are rare, they may be found at online auctions and many are freely available to those over 18 at the National Diet Library in Japan. Tokyo branch holds the most books, though other books can be found at different branches. Check their catalog at https://ndlopac.ndl.go.jp/ for more information.