Natsuki Majikina - Haihīru kakumei

2016, Japanese, Natsuki Majikina,

Original title: "Haihīru kakumei" ハイヒール革命 (High Heels Revolution) by Natsuki Majikina 真境名ナツキ.

When Haihīru Kakumei (High Heels Revolution) hit Japanese bookstores, it wasn’t just another celebrity memoir, it was a declaration of identity, resilience, and unapologetic visibility. Written by Natsuki Majikina, the actress and activist who first captured national attention through the 2016 film of the same name, the book extends the story that made her famous, digging deeper into the emotional, social, and spiritual layers of her journey toward womanhood. It is not only the story of one person’s transformation but also a mirror reflecting the changing face of Japan’s understanding of gender and self-expression.

 

Natsuki’s path to becoming one of Japan’s most recognizable transgender figures began in the hallways of a junior high school, where she fought for something as simple yet radical as the right to wear a girls’ uniform. For most students, choosing what to wear might seem like a trivial issue. For Natsuki, it was the first public act of resistance, a deeply personal declaration that she would no longer live a life dictated by others’ expectations. The media caught wind of her story, and soon this young student in Tokyo became a national topic of conversation. What started as a battle over clothing became a symbol of something much larger: a challenge to Japan’s rigid gender norms and the quiet courage of a girl who dared to live as herself.

In High Heels Revolution, Natsuki revisits these formative years with tenderness and honesty, describing the confusion of growing up in a body that didn’t feel like home, and the gradual process of claiming her truth. She writes about her mother, who understood her before the rest of the family did, and about the long silence it took for everyone else to catch up. She also shares the bittersweet moments of adolescence, being the captain of the girls’ volleyball team, navigating love and friendship, and facing the cruel curiosity of strangers who couldn’t see beyond her difference. Her prose balances pain with pride; there’s no self-pity here, only the quiet determination of someone who has earned every inch of her joy.

 

The success of the movie adaptation marked a turning point in Natsuki’s life. Directed by Yo Kohatsu, High Heels Revolution blurred the line between documentary and drama, combining scenes from Natsuki’s real life with reenactments featuring actor Tatsuomi Hamada as her teenage self. It was both intimate and cinematic, raw yet beautifully framed. The film premiered at the 25th Rainbow Reel Tokyo Film Festival and was later screened internationally, sparking conversations about transgender rights in Japan, a country still learning to reconcile tradition with diversity.

 

Following the film’s success, the book provided Natsuki with a platform to take ownership of her story in her own words. Its subtitle, “Changing sex. Changing body. I am changing myself.”, captures her central message: transformation is not about abandoning who you were, but becoming more fully who you are. The writing has the rhythm of both confession and celebration, as if she is talking directly to the reader, urging them to find the courage to live without disguise.

 

After high school, Natsuki’s activism evolved into something vibrant and creative. She became the leader of a transgender idol group, channeling her message of empowerment through pop culture. Her career took her from underground bars in Roppongi to the bright stages of television studios. She joined the group “Himitsu no Oto Onna” (The Secret Sound Girls), a trio of transgender idols who challenged stereotypes with their music, style, and openness. Through her performances and public appearances, Natsuki transformed visibility into art, and activism into entertainment, without ever diluting her message.

 

In reading High Heels Revolution, one senses that Natsuki Majikina doesn’t view her life as a linear progression from struggle to triumph, but rather as a mosaic of experiences that continue to shape her. She doesn’t claim perfection or moral authority. What she offers is authenticity. Her words invite empathy, not sympathy, and she carries an undercurrent of humor even when discussing the most painful chapters. Her self-description as an “emotional person whose feelings always show on her face” gives readers a clue to her charm, she feels deeply, and that depth spills naturally into her storytelling.

 

Today, Natsuki is not only an actress and television personality, but also a symbol of Japan’s evolving LGBT landscape. She has appeared on NHK programs, hosted radio shows, and built a career that proves that being transgender does not limit one’s dreams, it expands them. Yet, her legacy is not confined to media appearances or idol performances. It lives in the quiet courage of those who saw her story and decided, “Maybe I can be myself too.”

 

Haihīru Kakumei remains a vital piece of Japan’s modern queer literature because it bridges two worlds: the personal and the political, the local and the universal. It speaks to anyone who has ever felt unseen, and to a society still learning how to celebrate difference instead of merely tolerating it. With her signature high heels firmly planted on the ground, Natsuki Majikina stands as proof that revolution sometimes begins not with anger, but with grace, and a pair of shoes that make you feel like yourself at last.

Available via amazon.co.jp

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