Japan Touring Foundation 2026: Blue Boy Trial

Tokyo, 1965. Amid growing internationalisation, the government introduces new measures to reinforce public morals — particularly public prostitution by women. As police intensify their crackdown, they are confounded by the presence of so-called “Blue Boys” - transgender women who, though still legally registered as male, live and work as women. Unable to charge them under the current Anti-Prostitution Law, which only applies to ‘female’ prostitutes, authorities instead arrest Dr. AKAGI Masao Akagi,, the surgeon who performed their gender-affirming operations, accusing him of violating the Eugenic Protection Law for rendering his patients infertile.

Based on the real-life Blue Boy Incident, Blue Boy Trial sheds light on a ground-breaking yet long-overlooked case that questioned the legality of gender-affirming surgery — and, more profoundly, what it means to find happiness by being your authentic self. With empathy and precision, director Kasho Iizuka and newcomer Miyu Nakagawa (both transgender themselves) bring to life a moment that reshaped Japan’s understanding of LGBTQ+ issues and continues to resonate today.