Being Aisho Nakajima: An Interview with Tokyo’s Sexiest Queer Music Sensation

Not much is known about the queer circles of Tokyo, though they are the richest breeding grounds for art, fashion, and music.

Especially in the eyes of one unfamiliar with the diversity of Japanese subcultures, this can go unnoticed, overlooked by Japan’s conservative and implicit attitude towards sexuality and self-expression. Tirelessly advocating for a better future, the singer-songwriter Aisho Nakajima is a symphonic beacon for the outcasts and sexual minorities of the country. 

Photo by ifucktokyo

The utmost it-girl archetype has nothing compared to the stance that Aisho Nakajima takes. He’s unapologetically himself, fiercely sensual, and not afraid to provoke anyone, and his dazzling charm stuns every face in the crowd when he performs.

Melodically and rhythmically cosmic, Nakajima is possessed by a certain poise that revolutionaries have, but behind the curtains, he is one of the most humble, kind, and down-to-earth people to dominate the Tokyoite music scene. Through his songs and music videos, he pushes away compulsive heteronormativity and the narrative circulating in Japanese society that all things sexual are immoral and humiliating. 

Between his gregarious personality on stage and his intimate unselfishness, there is a remarkable talent that promises him an unfathomably bright future. It’s almost unfair that Aisho Nakajima is still considered underground as his musicality and artistry go beyond what many great artists accomplish in their first years. 

Aisho Nakajima was born and raised in Nagoya, before debuting in Tokyo. Through religious trauma and staying closeted for the sake of survival, music has kept him safe and warm, lending him a shoulder to cry on during his darkest hours, but it’s only in late 2019 that he pictured a career in music. This overcrowded industry is intimidating to many, but Nakajima is far from backing out. He was quickly noticed by NYLON, Vogue, i-D, and many more mainstream platforms, and his legacy is still in the making. 

Upon learning all of this, sabukaru had to sit down with Aisho Nakajima to talk about the Japanese music industry, his biggest dreams, and the reality of being part of the LGBTQ+ in Japan. 

Thank you for having us. Could you introduce yourself to the sabukaru network?

I’m Aisho Nakajima. I’m an artist based in Tokyo, Japan, and I’m 25 years old. Musically, I do RnB and pop, and I also rap. 

I grew up in Nagoya, Japan, and I was homeschooled. I started going to school from third grade to seventh grade, and then I stopped going to school. I went into a gyaru-sa [it’s like a gyaru circle], and that’s when I was introduced to makeup and started expressing myself. I came out when I was 17, and before then it was like a little secret. 

Then, I moved to Sydney, Australia, when I was 19 and lived there for two years, and came straight to Tokyo. At first, I wanted to become a makeup artist but, that didn’t work out. I’ve always loved music as a kid, and I would always do covers. I would sing anywhere, literally, I wasn’t good at it but I loved music [laughs]. I never, ever thought I would become an artist, though. I never had the confidence. 

Photo by ifucktokyo

When I came to Tokyo, I still did covers and posted them on Instagram and YouTube. There was this guy doing an event in Tokyo, and he saw my covers and he asked me if I wanted to sing, and I was like, “fuck yes, let’s do it” just for fun.

That was the first time I ever sang in front of a crowd and, when I did that, it was like, I feel like that’s when I knew, “Okay, I want to do this”. It was a feeling that I never felt before, it was like a confidence boost, and just performing was something new. I loved it so much, and I was like, “I’m gonna do music”. I met a producer in November 2019 and that’s when I started doing music. My first single was in march 2020. Since then, I’ve been releasing music. 

South-Korean music has been trendy worldwide, and it is to say that it’s only the beginning of this massive industry. As a Japanese musician, do you wish to see the Japanese music industry booming in the same way and receive more support nationally and internationally?

One thousand percent. I feel like a lot of people ask this question, like “why doesn’t [Japan receive more support]?” because K-Pop is massive. Right now, it’s bigger than ever, which I get because I love K-pop. J-pop, on the other hand, I feel like it hasn’t really changed for a long time, like the sound, the aesthetic, and just the artistry in general. I feel like people love and appreciate Japanese culture so much, but when it comes to music, people don’t really know about it. 

That kind of sucks, but at the same time, I haven’t really seen growth in the J-pop industry so I also do get where like it’s not really booming. But it really sucks! I don’t know how to change that [laughs]. I really wish it was [booming]. I grew up listening to J-pop, but also music from overseas like the USA top charts, the Billboard Hot 100, you know what I mean? There is a massive difference, and I’ve always been more inspired by US and UK music, and K-pop as well. 

I mean, as a musician in Tokyo, you’re definitely surrounded by a lot of other musicians. Do you think that they should receive the same kind of support internationally as Kpop?

I do. Especially Awich and Chanmina, those two I listen to a lot. I feel like their level is like, you can’t really compare them with J-pop. J-hip hop is booming right now in Japan, and I feel like that’s amazing, and I wish their work spread overseas as well. I do wish it would happen, and I hope it will. 

You were also saying you really like K-Pop. 

Yeah. Lately, K-pop is, oh my god, it’s something else [laughs]! Is it the way that they’re trained? I don’t know! Their level is insane: the quality, the dancing, the visuals, everything! I get so much inspiration from K-pop. K-pop is a genre that you won’t see anywhere else. I feel like it’s such a unique culture that South Korea has and they do take it really seriously. I know that a lot of K-pop artists are overworked and that really sucks, I wish that part can change. But, looking at the outside of K-pop music, I’m such a huge fan [laughs]. 

What made you decide to pursue music? 

I originally wanted to do makeup, and then I started making music. I feel like music was always the one thing I always wanted to do but never said out loud, or never put myself out there.

I didn’t know how to write and I didn’t know how to be myself, as an artist. I just didn’t have the confidence, but then, when I first performed, I was like, “wow”. It’s like therapy.

Right now, I’ve been doing music for two years now. With each and everything song I write, I feel like I get to know myself even more, vocally, musically, and also personally. It’s challenging and it’s so satisfying, when you finish writing a song, when you record it, and when it’s mixed, and mastered. It’s such a powerful process, and I love it, and mixing the music with the visuals is so satisfying. I love it so much. 

I feel like after I started doing music, it came naturally. Before, I wouldn’t even have dreamed about it. Like, it was like the biggest dream of all time but I felt like I couldn’t reach it, but once I started moving towards that, I feel like everything came naturally. Of course, there are a lot of ups and downs, especially being queer in this music industry, and doing what I do. It’s not easy, but at the same time, it’s what I want to do and it’s what makes me happy. 

You’re an incredibly popular figure in the queer and party circles of Tokyo. How were you introduced to these communities? 

I feel like Tokyo is such a small city. Everyone knows everyone, and everyone is introduced to everyone. That’s what happened to me. When I got to Tokyo, I had a lot of model friends, a few artist friends, and people from the industry, even when I didn’t do music. I don’t really go out, but when I do go out, I do meet a lot of new people. That’s how I was introduced to the community and the industry. But, that too, came really naturally, nothing was forced. 

What about Tokyo’s specifically queer spaces?

So, I’ve only been to Ni-chome like five times in my entire life [laughs]. I don’t think I was introduced, like I was just there [laughs]. Also, the gay community in Japan is so small that everyone knows everyone regardless. Introduced or not, everyone knows everyone. 

Photo by ifucktokyo

Thinking outside the box, extravagant fashion, defying gender norms, sex positivity, kink, and art are heavily embedded in your music, videos, as well as identity. Were you always surrounded by this kind of openness? 

No [laughs]. I grew up as a Christian, in a heavily restricted household. My parents didn’t want me to know the world. I was not allowed to listen to music, and I was only allowed to listen to Christian music. When I first started listening to Avril Lavigne, I was punished [laughs]. I was allowed to listen to like Mariah Carey, and Celine Dion, like the cleaner side of music. Basically, when it wasn’t a clean love song, I wasn’t allowed to listen. That changed when I started to go to actual school and slowly things started to be allowed. 

I always knew I was gay but my parents told me growing up that gay people go to hell, so that was like a big taboo. I couldn’t even tell my parents or friends because I thought that they would disown me and I didn’t want that. I was really scared of that. Once I came out, that’s when everything got off of my shoulders. I was finally comfortable, because that was the biggest secret of all time, even to myself. I was lying to myself and that was not a good feeling. 

That’s when I was more comfortable with sexuality, fashion, expressing myself, and sex in general. I feel like, because sex was the biggest taboo growing up, and now that I can do whatever, that’s the reason why I like to talk about sex, be sexual, and get into it [laughs]. But I was never around what I have today. Once I moved to Sydney, that’s when everything changed. 

Photo by ifucktokyo

I only knew Japan, and sexuality is still taboo and shameful, but moving to Sydney and getting to know what’s out there changed my perspective of literally everything. Now that I’m back, I feel like it has changed a little bit, compared to 10 years ago, but I still think the topic of sex is still lacking a little bit.

I wish it was a bigger topic where people would be more comfortable speaking about it and expressing themselves. A lot of people in Japan that are gay are closeted, and that literally comes from shame, because they don’t want to come out because of other people's opinions, and it’s so sad. I went through it, and it was the darkest time for me. I was literally sick, I had a small fever lasting for over a year, and when I moved to Sydney, that all went away.

I wish it was a bigger topic that people would speak about and people would share. Sex is sex, everyone does it. I don’t get why this country is this conservative, I don’t understand why, and I wish it would change. That’s one of my main goals, that people here can talk openly about their sexuality, sex, their feelings, and mental health. 

The spaces for the LGBTQ+ community in Tokyo are minimal compared to other bigger cities. Sure, Ni-Chome in Shinjuku is an important part of the gay community, but it nonetheless isn’t enough for the fluidity and ever-changing nature of queerness. What would you like to see more in this city, in terms of values and queer spaces?

Freedom and openness. Right now, in Japan, when a man and a man hold hands, people will stare. When a girl and a girl will hold hands, people will stare. It fucking sucks, it’s so fucking embarrassing. Ni-chome is such a small area for the entirety of Japan, since Ni-chome is one of the most famous queer places in Japan, and it really isn’t enough. I really wish I’d see queer people holding hands, basically doing the same thing that straight couples would do. I feel like that’s not a lot to ask for, and I really don’t know why it’s still a thing to shame. That really needs to change, the sooner the better. 

Once that’s done, I feel like a lot of the young queer people will be more comfortable and people around them would be more open. Just because they see the “okama” [Japanese gay man stereotype] on television, they think everyone is like that, and I feel like a lot of people still think that way. In Tokyo maybe less, but in other areas, they don’t see gay people. They don’t know any gay people, and even if they do, they’re closeted. People really don’t know much about it, and I really want to spread information. First of all, we’re not all the same, second of all, we’re human, and third of all, it’s just because of our sexuality. What the fuck? It’s the most simple thing ever, which some people don’t understand. 

It really sucks, but I feel like if we don’t do something about it, it’ll never fucking change. I feel like it’s starting to happen, but compared to other countries, no. I feel like there’s no choice but to spread the word, and just do me, and let people know that it’s ok, it’s literally ok, it’s just sexuality [laughs]. It’s the most simple thing ever, but some people refuse to understand or to even like, touch on the subject and try to like learn, even with their own sexuality. A lot of people here don’t want to get out of their comfort zone, because straight is normal to them, you know what I mean? If they do something else sexually that’s out of their comfort zone, I feel like a lot of people feel shame, which sucks because sex is sex. This is literally why we’re here, and it’s a big part of everyone’s identity, but in this country people still don’t want to talk about it. 

Who are your all-time favorite people who inspire you as an artist, but also as a person?

Lady Gaga. She was my biggest inspiration ever and still is. What she did to the world and pop is actually insane. Vocally, Ariana Grande is one of my top inspirations, but Lady Gaga is the one. I feel like a lot of people can relate to that [laughs], and I hope to do what she did in Japan, to change how people see and think. We’re all human, we can do whatever the fuck we want. In everything that I stand for, Gaga is the one who taught me. She made me feel comfortable with my sexuality, fashion, makeup, and everything else about my identity. 

Photo by ifucktokyo

Is there anyone in your close circle? 

Chanmina is literally fucking killing it. Whatever she puts out, I’m literally hooked. I get so much motivation from seeing her do what she’s doing, her getting out of Japan, and the message she’s spreading. She’s younger than me, so I’m always like, “wow”. I’m always shook, I respect her so much. I don’t even know how the fuck she does it, but she does it effortlessly. She’s one of my biggest inspirations right now. 

You represent well the artistic side of Japan along with its Western connections, channeling gyaru fashion, American pop, Y2K red carpet looks, etc. This has given you a lot of attention from various platforms like i-D, Lute, and Vogue Japan. What was your original vision for your career, and how is it playing out?

My dreams are coming true every single day. Like [this sabukaru interview], seriously, I think I literally manifested you guys [laughs]. I literally had a shikishi board and I wrote my dreams and half of it came true.

Sometimes, I tend to forget, but I’m so grateful to be speaking with you and for people recognizing me. I feel so honored and this is beyond [what I envisioned]. I’ve been doing music for only two years and I’m really, really hard on myself, but when I think about it, it’s actually insane, and I can’t wait for the future. I’m so excited. I hope to get to on a bigger level musically and artistically. My artistry is always growing, I mean, everyone is growing, and growing with my own music is insane. Music is such a… you can’t see it, you can only hear it, but you feel so much. It’s like magic. Being able to do that to others is beyond everything. I’m so grateful and I’m so happy. I want to keep doing what I’m doing. 

Wow, I’m so happy for you. It’s so nice to hear. Jumping back on the question, what were your visions when you first started this?

I don’t think I really had a vision. I was just so into it that I didn’t even know how the industry worked and I still don’t know, but when I first started, I had nothing, bitch. I didn’t even know what a press release was. No, literally, I only learned about a press release on my fourth single. I didn’t know anything about anything. I just thought social media was it because I thought it was how everyone got “there”, as a promotional tool. I mean, it still is [a promotional tool], but I didn’t know anything about anything. I always had a vision about performing and all of that, but where I’m at right now, I literally dreamed about it, and it came true. I still think that, if five people can listen to my music and relate to it, that’s the biggest reward for me. That’s all that matters at the end of the day. 

You definitely do not skimp out on the visuals and creative direction of every project you do, and it definitely makes you even more unique. What are the things you’d like to try out, outside of what you have already been doing?

I like a challenge. I really do love a challenge and on a bigger scale, I would love to do a one-man show. A fucking one, two-hour show where I tell a story through music, through clothing, and through dancing. Right now, I don’t have enough songs, but once I get there, I really want to do a crazy show where a quarter of it is burlesque vibes and I want to make a show where people can’t take their eyes off from. I don’t know how to explain it, a show that’s like a music video. That’s what I want to do. 

I see. Is that why you put so much energy into your music videos?

I mean, I don’t know if that’s why, because that’s what I like to do. It just comes naturally: I want to do it, and I will do it [laughs]. That’s basically it. Expressing myself with my sexuality, makeup, fashion, and music all combined: that’s my shit! I will continue doing it and I have a blast. I hope people enjoy it as much as I do [laughs]. 

Your music and persona are extremely vibrant, catchy, and charismatic, and your bilingualism definitely fuels your potential on being a huge hit overseas. Do you have any plans on performing outside of Japan? 

Bitch, that’s also one of my biggest dreams! I love Tokyo and I love Japan but that’s not my ultimate dream, to just do music here. My main goal is to do music overseas and to get people overseas to listen to my music and feel something. What Gaga did to me, I want to do to anyone who would listen. Right now, I do not have plans to perform overseas, but next year, that’s one of my main goals. I will make this dream come true, one thousand percent [laughs]. 

You will! Ideally, where would that be?

Coachella [laughs]. Bitch, VMAs! Yea, maybe that was the vision I always had, now that I think about it. Coachella always was [on my mind] and I’ve never even been to Coachella. I feel like that was always one of my visions and it still is. I do want to make it come true and I will [laughs].

What’s next for Aisho Nakajima, and what would be your dream projects?

Today [October 26th, 2022], I have my new single out, “Luna”. Luna the Lunatic is my alter ego. I wrote DLB [Daddy’s Little Bitch] and Luna around the same time and I had so much energy and so much anger, but I always do [laughs], as well as sexual energy, and I was not giving a fuck about anything. Aisho, me, I overthink a lot, but my alter ego is the most fucked up person ever, and I wanted to drop that into music. That’s how DLB and Luna came out. It’s very narcissistic and very sexual, but carefree [laughs]. Luna is out now, and the Luna dance video is out too. 

For next year, my main goal is to do an album. I want my first album to be so special to me. I want to show people what I can do vocally musically and visually, so not just one genre of music. A dream project would be a storytelling album from the start to now, from my childhood to my alter ego to me, right now. What’s next for Aisho is an album where I can show people what I can do. I feel like that’s what's next for me. Last year I dropped a mini EP called “Sleeptalk”, which was based on my dream journals. Those were all ballads, RnB, and a little pop. This year, I wanted to do something completely different, and next year [2023] I want to make an album because I want to practice everything I’ve learned so far.

Oh and, I would love to work with other artists, like producers, engineers, hair and makeup stylists. People have so many ideas and people are so talented. I’d love to work with other creators, other producers, and other artists and just create art and share visions with each other. That would be great. I haven’t done it much, so I’d love to collaborate and learn from people. I only know what I’m doing but I’d love to learn through other creative people and make pure art. 

Do you have any words of advice for upcoming artists and queer people in Japan? 

Queer people, don’t lose, we’re not alone [laughs]. But really, it’s getting better compared to how it was 10 years ago. I really hope this goes fast and then people will start being more open-minded. For advice? Keep doing you. We all go through shit. It’s not going to kill you, it really won’t kill you, but what you can do is fight, work for what you want, and do whatever the fuck you want as long as you aren’t hurting anyone. 

I’m still a new artist, so I wouldn’t know much, but just do you. Don’t do anything for anyone, especially your art because that’s your shit. You cannot take it back and if you’re not making what you want to make, that’s a waste of time and you will be stressed because you won’t be doing what you want to do. Just be you, do what you want to do, and do it for yourself. That is the biggest piece of advice, do it for yourself. Successful or not, you will be happy.  

About the Author:
Mizuki Khoury.
Born in Montreal, based in Tokyo. Sabukaru’s senior writer and works as an artist under Exit Number Five.