Web Service to Match Transvestite Men with Women Launched Demand for Girlish Men Who Understand Gender Differences is on the Rise
In front of me is Musasabi-san, a man in his twenties striking a deliberately cute pose. He usually works as a male office worker, but he is a cross-dressing enthusiast. While there has been remarkable media exposure of cross-dressers like Mitz Mangrove and Matsuko Deluxe, it is still not mainstream.
Matching web application “Cross-dressing and Girls’ Night Out Jojo” (hereinafter referred to as “Jojo”) connects people who love cross-dressing with partners who understand their hobby. There are many matching services for finding lovers or marriage partners, but what kind of users are using “Jojo”? We spoke with Musasabi-san, who is also a user of the web application, and Megumi Okamoto, the representative director of the operating company, Vent Huge Co., Ltd., and the operating representative, Hajime Hiiragi.
“Making a girlfriend who understands cross-dressing would of course be nice, but my main goal is to make friends with whom I can exchange cosmetic information and talk about fashion,” he said.
“I think being able to interact while being acknowledged for cross-dressing is something that wouldn’t have been possible before. It’s nice that there’s no temperature difference or prejudice against cross-dressing,” said Musasabi-san.
For cross-dressers, the greatest benefit is being able to openly share their hobby and have relationships. For Musasabi-san, cross-dressing is just a hobby, and his romantic interest is women. How do women who want to meet cross-dressers interact within the web application?
“When I’m at work, it’s hard to check messages (openly), so I check about three or four times a day, usually in the morning and after work. I exchange messages with someone I’m interested in several times a week, and I’ve even asked about how to wash wigs used for cross-dressing. Sometimes our messaging conversation goes on until late at night. Actually, there’s someone I’ve promised to meet up with soon,” said Musasabi-san.
