INDEX
Change Takes Root in the Underground
During the show, the queens leapt off the stage and into the crowd, with tips soaring through the air.
The crowd, sporting collaboration sunglasses from BEAMS, enthusiastically waved fans emblazoned with their favorite queens’ names, fluttered rainbow flags, flashed finger hearts, and dazzled with sparkly twerks, all reveling in the moment in their own vibrant ways. It was a stunning spectacle.
As the school bell echoed through the venue, the energy hit its climax with Nymphia and Vera’s “Gyaru” performance, bringing the night to a thrilling close. In the realm of drag, queens can effortlessly embody both elegance and edgy gal energy.
Drag culture, which began as a form of resistance against discrimination—where queers dragged their dresses through the streets—has evolved into a global art form that captivates the world today. In the 1990 film Paris Is Burning, which highlights queer ballroom culture, the term “opulence” is used to signify “having it all.”
In this moment, “opulence” represents the pursuit and attainment of one’s true self. If Japan could one day become a place where everyone could live authentically, it would be transformative. For now, let us start the journey to opulence right here in the underground of Shinjuku. Because, after all, it’s always from the underground that the world begins to change.
