GAYLETTER

What is Obscenity?: The Story of a Good for Nothing Artist and Her Pussy is the tale of the Japanese “pussy artist” Rokudenashiko. Rokudenashiko (“good-for-nothing girl”) creates art using a mold of her pussy. She started out as a mangaka, someone who writes manga, and only began to explore the idea of pussy art because she thought it would be a good story. Rokudenashiko ultimately found empowerment from her work and continued to explore it, growing both sillier and grander in scale. She eventually received national recognition when she used crowdfunding to make a kayak out of the pussy mold, and then got arrested for sending her contributors a 3-D scan of the mold she used.

The book starts off with an introductory letter from Rokudenashiko explaining her background to an American audience. Next, there is the manga “What is Obscenity? How I Became a So-Called Artist,” which tells the tale of Rokudenashiko’s first arrest and rise to prominence. After having her story controlled by public officials and the male-dominated press, Rokudenashiko now tells her story on her terms. She uses the medium she’s most comfortable with, and though the book is accessible to a non-Japanese audience, Rokudenashiko doesn’t water anything down to fit a certain template. The manga is presented in traditional Japanese form with an explanation of how to read it. The book also explains different aspects of Japanese culture that are referenced and even explores the various theories behind the root of the word “pussy” in Japanese, “manko.”

Also included in the book is a written account of Rokudenashiko’s second arrest, an interview between her and controversial Japanese film director Sion Sono, and a second manga titled “Why I Became a Manko Artist.” This second manga dives deeper into her backstory and explores how throughout various stages in her life she refused to conform to the Japanese mainstream. While not conforming is considered hip in America, due to Japan’s culture of shame and emphasis on the collective it’s more than a fashion statement. What is Obscenity? ends with a manga called “This Is My Story” from the point of view of a pussy.

Rokudenashiko has taken the pussy away from the realm of male desire, which has ironically lead her art to be considered “obscene.” She is able to make money off her pussy from not sexualizing it which enrages the male establishment. Rokudenashiko feels as though it’s her mission to help women accept and learn about their pussies, and she’s willing to dedicate her talent, her sense of humor and her reputation to the cause.

Purchase your own copy of What Is Obscenity? here.