“Ocean’s 11”: All-New, All-Japanese And All-Female!
The Takurazuka stage production of the classic caper film naturally features the usual all-female cast, with lots of choice roles for the otokoyaku actresses who specialize in male roles! Taking a page from the training traditions of onnagata (kabuki actors who specialize in female roles), from the moment they are chosen to impersonate dudes, the Takurazuka otokoyaki-wannabes get manly haircuts, wear manly clothes and switch to using manly forms of Japanese when they speak. These days neither onnagata nor otokoyaki are forced to live as the opposite sex when offstage, but onstage onnagata still play a Japanese man’s idea of the ideal woman, and otokoyaki represent a Japanese woman’s idea of the ideal man.
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Jonelle Patrick View All
Writing mystery books set in Tokyo is mostly what I do, but I also blog about the odd stuff I see every day in Japan. I'm a graduate of Stanford University and the Sendagaya Japanese Institute in Tokyo, and a member of the International Thriller Writers, the Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters In Crime. When I'm not in Tokyo, I live in San Francisco. I also host a travel site called The Tokyo Guide I Wish I'd Had, so if you're headed to Japan and want to check out the places I take my friends when they're in town, take a look!
Jonelle Patrick's Only In Japan 
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