BY: DM
Published 8 hours ago
Kodo Nishimura is not your typical monk. Born in 1989, Nishimura grew up in his family’s Pure Land Buddhist temple, as revealed on his website. He later became both a priest and a celebrity makeup artist. After studying fine arts at Parsons in New York, Nishimura worked on high-profile beauty gigs, including doing makeup for Miss Universe contestants. Eventually, he answered a different calling.
Now back in Japan, he wears saffron robes and pumps while preaching acceptance and self-expression. Here’s a look at Nishimura’s impact and why Tokyo’s queer community adores him.
Kodo Nishimura is helping normalize LGBTQIA+ lifestyles in Japan.
Nishimura grew up under his priest father’s roof, where he learned the rituals of Pure Land Buddhism, but he also had a flair for the glamorous. A childhood fascination with “The Princess Diaries” and Western culture inspired him to move to New York. There, he honed his craft in art school and on fashion shoots. By 22, he was interning with top makeup artists, strutting backstage at New York Fashion Week, and coaching beauty queens. At 24, he felt the pull of tradition and returned to Japan for monastic training. In 2015, he was fully ordained.
Nishimura now uses his blend of makeup and mantra to challenge stereotypes. He often cites Buddhism’s core teaching that “everybody and anybody can be liberated,” per Nippon. He even persuaded Japan’s Buddhist federation to issue rainbow “equality” stickers at temple gates as a symbol of inclusion. He also speaks bluntly about social norms. In an interview with Althea Talks, he described himself as “gender gifted. “
“I don’t have to introduce Buddhism to a Japanese audience, but in Japan I feel that people are pressured to conform to societal expectations — that women have to behave in this way, or that men doing [certain things] is not manly enough,” Nishimura told Tricycle. “That is something that I want to break in Japan.”
Nishimura points out that faith and fashion aren’t mutually exclusive. He recalls a wise master asking, “What’s the difference between wearing doctor’s scrubs and beautiful clothes?” The master essentially told him that as long as he delivered the message of liberation, it was never a problem to shine brightly.
Nishimura has inspired queer youth around the world.
By openly living his identity — he uses he/him pronouns but resists strict labels — Nishimura has become a beacon for the LGBTQIA+ community. He once met a teenager in London who said reading This Monk Wears Heels finally helped her come to terms with her identity. “They said that by reading my book, they understood themselves,” Nishimura told Althea Talks. “I felt how important my work was to them. That moment made my trip to London feel worthwhile.”
Nishimura isn’t the only queer or LGBTQIA+ person in monastic or religious life. According to Lions Roar, one of the more prominent historical figures is Issan Dorsey, a S?t? Zen monk in San Francisco. Born Tommy Dorsey Jr., Issan lived a life marked by struggle and transformation. Similarly, Tenzin Mariko, a Tibetan transgender woman, began with monastic training before publicly embracing her gender identity.
Can traditional practices and modern self-expression coexist, or do you think they ultimately clash?
