How to present as a nonbinary JET?

16 comments

1. There are an increasingly number of non-binary presenting Japanese people. Even in my school, we have several students. Japanese people are not very confrontational, so likely won’t be an issue (no one will likely say anything, as you’re just another ‘quirky’ foreigner).

   Japan is pretty binary, however. How you present yourself will be how you are seen. Especially based on whatever gender marker you have. Japan is a good 20-30 years behind in LGBT issues, so if you show up with a beard but you have a F gender marker, they might raise an eyebrow since your school will be expecting a “female” teacher.

   If you have short hair and dress in a masculine way, they will assume you are just like any other tomboy-ish teacher.

2. I have one nonbinary teacher friend whose school has been very accepting once they explained, and they can use they/them pronouns and are addressed as Mx. (first name). They’ve even done some gender identity education with the students. I don’t know how common it is to be that accepting, but a lot of people are aware of nonbinary identities (called ‘x-gender’ in Japan). Androgynous fashion is also popular among teens/young adults, and basic androgynous business casual for school wouldn’t be commented on.

3. I normally wear a men’s dri-fit polo shirt and slacks to work and no one’s ever made a comment about it, although in the beginning I always wore skirts and blouses (until the heat got to me lmao). Several of my female students also wear the uniform that was originally meant for boys (slacks & necktie). IMO it should be ok as long as it’s still work-appropriate.

4. I worked at a private all girls’ school that is fairly conservative.

   The last two years, I had a transgender(M->F) Japanese co-teacher.

   Other teachers were very kind. Most students didn’t comment, unless they had a problem with her (they had a disagreement with the teacher, they were given a bad score, etc.), then they could become cruel.

   Since this teacher was an English teacher, there was some confusion among students about weather to use Ms. Or Mr. in class (English teachers were referred to this way in class instead of attaching sensei to their name), but once she introduced herself and the students got used to using Ms, it was fine. I think they’ll call you whatever you tell them to if you explain what you prefer.

   I’m not sure the procedure at your school, but all ALTs at my school were actually called by their first name only, no Ms., Mr., or sensei, so if your school is the same it might be one less thing you’ll need to explain.

   One thing about my school is that although it was fine for women to wear pants on normal days, it wasn’t ok during ceremonies. One year a young female Japanese teacher wore a pant suit to graduation and was scolded for an hour by the school director (a very traditional 50 year old woman). She was told she needs to wear a skirt or dress to graduation because pants are inappropriate for a woman in a formal setting. I’m not sure how common this ideology is, as I only worked at one school my entire JET career.

5. I have worked with lots of “stereotypical women” teachers (math, science and social-studies) that dress androgynously. No need to dress feminine as an ALT. I am a stereotypical woman who loathes wearing skirts to work. LOL

   Most days I am in a top/t-shirt and slacks, depends on the season.

   Check the weather in your location, that is the truest deciding factor on your personal dress code.

   But please don’t come on JET and lose who you are. Please please, always be you!

6. Wear whatever makes you comfortable, both in terms of identity and weather. As others have said, androgynous fashion is very popular in Japan- very loose trousers, loose button-up shirts, and loose sweater-vest things especially (and you may see couples wearing this as matching outfits). You can keep your hair at whatever length you’re most comfortable with, too. As long as the clothing meets the standards of the school (which vary, but in my area it’s basically business casual), you should be fine.

   I work in a large city so there are many JET ALTs at my BoE- several of whom have been non-binary, trans, or gender non-conforming. From what they have told me, the schools were very welcoming and accepting- making sure they used the correct pronouns and that the person has access to their preferred toilet.

7. I am female but prefer to dress neutrally. I wear a trouser suit and shirt in the winter, and summer ‘cool biz’ is short sleeves and lighter coloured trousers. No one has ever commented! Even for ceremonies, a black trouser suit has been fine. This year I have started to see more female students taking up the option to wear trousers. Uniqlo is my go-to for clothes I feel comfortable in.

8. If you’re AFAB and dress masc, no one will bat an eye. If it was the other way around, unsure. But the issue in my opinion is pronouns, as if, if you want to go by they/them do not expect a single person to understand singular they as it is not taught.

9. I cut my hair and started wearing more masculine clothes while already here. I haven’t had anyone be weird about it! (edit: some students were like whoaaa boy! ikemen! whoaaa! why do you have boy hair? but most coworkers have just been like “ooo kakkoii, niatteru” lol) That doesn’t rule out weirdness, though. I’d say just come here with however you want to present and what name you want to go by already decided. Probably most of the confusion would be if there was a big change while you were already here. If you’re going by a name different from your passport too, I’d just be like “I go by ___” or “call me ____” and everyone will do that.

10. No one will care lol. “Tomboy” fashion and short haircuts are very popular in Japan right now.

11. On paper, Japan loves androgynous people. I can think of like 5 shoujo manga off the top of my head where the whole plot’s schtick is one love interest dresses androgynously. Or the Takarazuka Revue! Short hair for women is really common, if not more fashionable.

    In other aspects, Japan is very, very binary (onsen, for example), but in terms of how you dress at work, as long as it’s not showing too much skin, then you’re good.

12. Just wear what you want as long as it’s appropriate for work. Nice clothes.

13. Lemme start with a quick anecdote first. I was in your shoes when I first got to Japan – decided to grow out my hair and present femme because it seemed like the path of least resistance. I also didn’t really tell anyone (other JETs included) how I identified. That wore on my mental health pretty quickly, and about 6 months after I arrived I came out to my friends, cut my hair and started wearing a lot more mens clothes. Personally, I became a lot happier after that.

    As for school, I never came out at work but nobody really cares or makes comments about my appearance. I once mentioned wanting to wear men’s kimono to a JTE and she just said “that’s definitely more your style” and the conversation moved on. Androgynous clothing in general is much more common in Japan I think, so people don’t really… Notice? Care? Also being a foreigner definitely gives you a lot of leeway in terms of personal style.

    I’d say for clothes, abiding by where your school falls on the casual-to-formal dress code scale is much more important than the femme-masc spectrum, at least in my experience. For hair, many women in Japan have quite short cuts, so no worries on that front.

14. I would say fashion in general here is quite androgenous and some people dress androgenously without associating it with their gender identity. As long as you dress appropriately for your workplace don’t feel a pressure to dress very femme

15. Please don’t take this the wrong way.

    This concept is still extremely western and even more so an American thing. The nonbinary and transgender concept doesn’t really exist in Japanese and you’re going to be fighting an uphill battle trying to reprogram them on pronouns and trans concepts.

    I have met some trans alt in Kyoto and as I’ve been told they just introduce themselves as is with no explaination and march forward unless specifically asked.

16. I’m not trans or anything but I can offer some small notes:

    Despite being female, I wear a suit for any formal occasions like graduation (me and one other female staff wear a suit). As long as I’m wearing the right color (aka a black shirt and a flower pin), they seem fine with it.

    Many, many girls have short hair and undercuts. It’s way more common here than in the US.

    Students and teachers will address you as (name)-sensei or (name)-san, which is gender neutral!