User:NakaNakaNoNo/sandbox

Otokonoko
In contemporary Japanese culture, otokonoko (男の娘 Otoko no ko, "male daughter" or "male girl"), or otoko no musume, are men who cross-dress as women.

The term originated in Japanese manga and Internet culture in the 2000s, but the concept reflects a broad range of earlier traditions and examples of male drag-wearing in Japan, such as onnagata in kabuki theater, and in the career of cross-dressing entertainer Akihiro Miwa. Otokonoko is a play on the word 男の子, also pronounced otokonoko and meaning "boy". Its popularity increased around 2009, with the rise of dedicated maid cafés, fashion stores, cosmetic products, and a range of popular media in the otaku culture. It is often combined with the cosplay of female fictional characters by men.

The concept of otokonoko does not directly correspond to a particular sexual identity or gender identity. Otokonoko may be of any sexual orientation.

By extension, otokonoko is also a genre of media and fiction about cross-dressing men, aimed at a male audience. It is part of the spectrum of shōnen entertainment (targeted at young boys) and seinen entertainment (targeted at young men), and often contains erotic or romantic elements. Otokonoko characters have also begun to appear in mainstream Japanese popular entertainment such as manga, anime and video games.

Though there are a variety of motivations for becoming otokonoko, they generally include wanting to look beautiful or paying less for clothing (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2011/01/08/national/subculture-inspires-young-male-cross-dressing-trend/) (http://jpninfo.com/43178). However, societal pressure to conform can make men anxious about engaging in the practice.

Notes on Otokonoko
http://www.tokyohive.com/article/2010/11/ex-johnnys-jr-igarashi-keiichi-to-release-cross-dressing-memoirs-in-manga-format/ https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2011/01/08/national/subculture-inspires-young-male-cross-dressing-trend/ https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2009/12/24/national/males-maid-to-order-at-new-cafes/ https://tokyogirlsupdate.com/top-anime-traps-201611113376.html http://jpninfo.com/43178 http://jpninfo.com/39318 https://soranews24.com/2014/06/08/japan-begins-to-more-openly-discuss-crossdressing-men-in-heterosexual-relationships/ https://rocketnews24.com/2017/08/17/941364/ https://dot.asahi.com/wa/2014053000082.html https://dot.asahi.com/wa/2014040900059.html http://jpninfo.com/31495
 * Reinforces that traps can be of any sexual orientation.
 * If there's a scanlated version of the book mentioned, it may have useful information.
 * Crossed out because the source as a whole says little about the subculture.
 * Again, reinforces the bit about sexual orientation. Also makes an addendum about gender. However, it seems to equate, not correlate, josou and cross-dressing.
 * "Cross-dressing is not necessarily a reflection of sexuality, as partakers may not be gays going drag or transvestites, and male homosexuals generally don’t cross-dress. Nor should the activity be associated with a serious medical or psychological condition, including gender identity disorder. Most cross-dressing men lead generally normal lives."
 * States that "josou" is another word for the concept. Josou on its own is definitely 女装.
 * https://jisho.org/word/%E5%A5%B3%E8%A3%85
 * "Most male cross-dressers have similar motivations: They want to look beautiful or want to satisfy their curiosity."
 * Notes the rise in maid cafes.
 * Crossed because maid cafe is already linked at the otokonoko page, which in turn has a link to a similar article.
 * Finally, something that puts "trap" as a synonym for otokonoko.
 * And, again, reinforces the bit about sexual orientation.
 * Also, the article is on the newer end (2016).
 * However, it may be a blog. It doesn't seem entirely like good journalism, but it doesn't feel like an unreliable source, either.
 * Background-check the website.
 * It has connections with sources that seem reliable, despite its definite "kawaii" scheme and casual language.
 * Possibly reliable?
 * Notes some motivations for becoming a trap.
 * Mentions the NEWTYPE bar (http://newtype.ms/).
 * Further research is necessary. NEWTYPE-related searches may turn up quality information.
 * I recall a YouTube video from NEWTYPE that had quite a bit of information, but it's a YouTube video.
 * Talks about LADYBEARD, who is a notable example of otokonoko.
 * He's also a very unorthodox one.
 * And one that is certainly not representative of most otokonoko.
 * Talks substantially about otokonoko motivation.
 * States that transvestite and transgender have "loaded meanings" that don't always align with the Japanese understanding of the word otokonoko.
 * States "josoushi" as an alternative Japanese word without noting the kanji. I'm guessing it's 女装し, but I don't know because it didn't say that.
 * If it is, we can use the Japan Times article as a source.
 * More notably, The AERA dot article uses 女装子 as a tag right next to 男の娘. This strongly suggests that they're the same, but I don't know if it explicitly equates the two.
 * And (as the title implies) straight traps.
 * Also suggests that the popularity surge occurred in 2009, though doesn't cite any particular reason why that's the case.
 * Notes issues regarding the practice and toilets.
 * Otokonoko entering women's restrooms is socially unacceptable.
 * Also quotes Naoko as saying 2009 was the turning point, but this time cites salon openings and magazine launches as the reason.
 * Also mentions straight traps.
 * Unknown content, but possibly relevant.
 * This mentions the gender-reverse counterpart to otokonoko, which may or may not warrant its own page. More research is necessary.