In Tokyo, a group of young women are using flamboyant Gothic Lolita fashion and powerful performances to challenge Japan's deeply rooted misogyny. TremendousCircus, Japan's self-described radical feminist theatre troupe, dons doll-like dresses with voluminous skirts to roar in rage about rape and sexism they have experienced. The group embraces the Gothic Lolita aesthetic as a powerful symbol of womanhood and a defence against sexual violence.
Despite the global #MeToo movement, many survivors in Japan remain too scared to come forward. TremendousCircus, driven by what it terms 'radical victim feminism', weaves its shows with accounts of sexual violence and harassment faced by members and their supporters. During a recent performance, actors screamed slogans such as 'war for women' while portraying stylised revolutionists fighting an AI tyrant in a dystopian future.
The nine women of TremendousCircus sport Japanese Lolita fashion, a substyle that fuses Victorian clothing with macabre goth motifs. 'My goal is to be a role model who can show that a joyful future can await sexual violence survivors,' said 28-year-old actor Chino, a rape survivor who co-founded the troupe. Having recently concluded a legal battle surrounding her own case, Chino is determined not to let that assault define her life.
TremendousCircus debuted in 2016 with a focus on LGBTQ rights and now charges men up to twice as much as women spectators, a dig at Japan's wide gender wage gap. The group's multi-layered garments are designed to be the 'exact opposite of form-fitting, scant and sexually arousing clothes many men crave', according to Chino. 'We can repel men while wearing pretty clothes,' she said.
Japan ranked 118th out of 148 economies in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Index last year. A 2024 government survey found that around one in 10 young people in Japan have been groped at least once, the vast majority women. TremendousCircus members argue that every woman in Japan is in some way a victim of its misogynistic society.
During their latest performance titled 'Unite', TremendousCircus actors depicted killings of men and ferociously ripped apart AI-generated photos of men's faces. The group does not disavow dating, marriage, childbirth and sex with men, instead welcoming all women, including mothers and sex workers, because 'women should be free to live however they want'. The message resonated deeply with the audience, most of them women, who smiled and sobbed as the performance ended.
