''Samson'' (月刊サムソン) is a monthly Japanese magazine for

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...

men. Gay magazines in Japan, along with much

gay culture Gay men are male homosexuals. Some bisexual and homoromantic men may also dually identify as gay, and a number of young gay men also identify as queer. Historically, gay men have been referred to by a number of different terms, including '' ...

, are segregated by "type"; most are aimed at an audience with specific interests. ''Samson'' specializes in daddies, older, chubby men and

salarymen In Japan, a is a salaried worker. In Japanese popular culture, this is embodied by a white-collar worker who shows overriding loyalty and commitment to the corporation where he works. Salarymen are expected to work long hours, to put in addit ...

in suits and occasionally

fundoshi is a traditional Japanese undergarment for adult males and females, made from a length of cotton. Before World War II, the was the main form of underwear for Japanese men and women. However, it fell out of use quickly after the war with the ...

, or traditional Japanese loincloths.

Overview

''Samson'' was started in 1982. The magazine features photographs and drawings which, while they feature explicit depictions of sex, are censored in accordance with Japanese law to obscure

genitals A sex organ (or reproductive organ) is any part of an animal or plant that is involved in sexual reproduction. The reproductive organs together constitute the reproductive system. In animals, the testis in the male, and the ovary in the female, a ...

and pubic hair. Like '' G-men'', ''Samson'' has fewer general articles than other magazines such as

Barazoku was Japan's first commercially circulated gay men's magazine. It began publication in July 1971 by Daini Shobō's owner's son and editor , although before that, there had been ''Adonis'' and ''Apollo'', its extra issue, around 1960 serving as a ...

and more short fiction and serialized stories. Each month there are community listings, several different stories—often pornographic—and several in comic form as well, and advertisements from gay-related and gay-friendly businesses such as

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s, clubs and hotels, bars, cafes and restaurants, host bars (hustler bars), brothels, and so forth. Readers can also place personal ads free of charge, and each month there are several pages of these, most from men in search of romantic attachments, friends or sex partners. Such ads have long been a popular way for gay men to meet each other in Japan, though text messaging and the internet are probably more popular now. The magazine is printed in Japanese only.

References

External links

Samson website
{{LGBT in Japan 1982 establishments in Japan Gay men's magazines published in Japan LGBT-related magazines published in Japan Monthly magazines published in Japan Pornographic magazines published in Japan Magazines established in 1982 Virtual reality companies