It literally saved my soul.

"I am the original chief editor of the first homosexual magazine published in Japan. It's called "Barazoku" and was first published in 1971.

I am trying to keep telling people that being gay is neither extraordinary nor perverted. 
A few decades ago, you had no choice but to get married. You had to make an effort to get married and have sex and make children .
But today there are a lot of men and women that don't get married right? It has changed to the better. It used to be a really hard time. 
People would think you are weird if you're not married." 

ーWhat was your motive to start a homosexual magazine?

"It didn't start with the magazine.
Well, I got into uni in 1948. War just ended and there was nothing to eat. It was a harsh time. Young people were really skinny at that time.

Well kids today have better developed bodies. So they learn to masturbate at like 12. Me on the the other hand had my first masturbating experience when I came to uni. 
In those days, it was said that masturbation was bad for you body. Doctors were saying that. Meanwhile I used to have a crush on a girl that time... so I was feeling horny, but had a dilemma. It was really hard for me. However, somehow I found an article by a Doctor, saying that masturbation wasn't bad at all. 
You can not imagine how relieved I was. 
It literally saved my soul.

My father used to work at a publisher and became independent after the war. I always helped him out in his office. One day, a guy with a manuscript wrapped in wrapping cloth arrived to our place.
He presented a manuscript titled "How to masturbate". 
I realized then, that this kind of book would save people like me.　We published it and It sold really really well.

Then, millions of letters arrived. I thought it was usual to fantasize about women while masturbating. But surprisingly, there were a LOT of messages about men fantasizing about men.

That's when it came to me. 
I had the idea of publishing a book for gay people.
In those times it was a strict taboo to talk about those kind of things.
It needed me a lot of courage. ...After considering for a while I first published a book about lesbians. And then I published a book about gays. People would come to our office to get the book, because they were embarrassed to buy it in the stores.

After that, a lot of people started to bring this kind of manuscripts to our office. Stories about gays." 

ーHow was the reaction of the society?

"Of course there was a lot of critique. 
Because there have never been such books about gay people ever before. 
On the other hand, there was a need for those books with no doubt.
I met a lot of people through this. I found wonderful fellows and started this magazine. 

I had to make a path in an undeveloped area. I can say it now. It was hard. Now that there is way, there is more that can and should be done."

（3/1/2014 下北沢 Shimokitazawa）