Beyond Common Sense is a study of life-styles in Japan that have hitherto remained largely unreported. In a society in which everyone is expected to marry, how do those who choose not to, or live at odds with the mainstream cope? After examining the social, cultural, and political aspects of marriage in Japanese society, Wim Lunsing investigates the different ways in which gays and lesbians, heterosexual single men and women, and others are regarded and relate to each other. Focusing on the relations between gender and sexuality, this book is a much needed contribution to Japanese studies.