Homosexuality in Japan

Available sources on homosexual behavior in ancient Japan, as in ancient China, are largely literary. Although a unified kingdom of Yamato existed from about the 4th century, Japan's written historical records really begin with the Kojiki (古事記), or Record of Ancient Matters, compiled in the early 8th century. While Chinese references from the 6th century BCE contain homosexual references, similar references in Japan begin to appear in about the 10th century. These references, at least initially, appear to follow the Chinese example.