This article appeared in Tokyo Weekender Vol. 3. To read the entire issue, click here .
In the past decade, the art of drag has exploded in mainstream popularity; no longer is it just an underground, safe space for queer expression. Drag queens have always played a crucial role in the advancement of LGBTQ rights, challenging the rigid boundaries of gender, sexuality and self-expression. Tokyo has its own vibrant drag community, and it boasts an incredible crew of local queens.
Recently, the fourth volume of Opulence, Japan’s first large-scale drag show, was held at Zepp Shinjuku, starring former RuPaul’s Drag Race competitors Alaska, Willam and Courtney Act, as well as an array of Tokyo’s own drag queens. The Tokyo queens brought energy and talent to the Shinjuku club, lip-synching and dancing for an audience of thousands. After the show, TW sat down with four of these iconic queens, including the fearless MC, MissLeading — a rare cisgender woman who performs drag — as well as gorgeous performers Sera Tonin, Vera Strondh and Labianna Joroe.
Sera Tonin What’s your drag style like? MissLeading : It’s camp, fashionable and silly. Very MissLeading! Sera : Visually, I’m pretty silly, as in, She’s a pretty girl, but she’s a clown . My performances tend to be a story; I like to invite audiences on a journey full of serotonin and things that make me happy.
Vera : She’s very hip-hop, R&B and street style. Also — I’ve been wearing sneakers in drag for a long t.