Blue Boy Trial

Part of the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2026 - Knowing Me, Knowing You: The True Self in Japanese Cinema

Japanese title: ブルーボーイ事件 (Blue Boy jiken)

Tokyo, 1965. Amid growing internationalisation after the Olympics, the government introduces new measures to reinforce public morals, particularly public prostitution by women. However, the so- called “Blue Boys”, transgender women who live and work as prostitutes, cannot be prosecuted as they are legally registered as male. Frustrated, authorities instead arrest Dr. Masao Akagi, who performs gender-affirming operations, accusing him of violating the Eugenic Protection Law.

Meanwhile, Sachi is quietly planning her future with her fiancé. She, too, is transgender and one of Dr. Akagi's patients. When defence attorney Taku Kano asks her to testify in court for Dr. Akagi, Sachi confronts her past and identity before a society unwilling to see her for who she really is.

Based on the real-life “Blue Boy Incident,” this powerful film sheds light on a ground-breaking yet long-overlooked case that questioned the legality of gender-affirming surgery and what is means to find happiness. The director of Angry Son (JFTFP23), Kasho Iizuka (a transgender man), and actor Miyu Nakagawa (a transgender woman) bring to life a moment that reshaped Japan’s understanding of LGBTQ+ issues and continues to resonate today.

<Contains sexual references and offensive language>

Image © 2025 “Blue Boy Trial” Film Partners