So what secret did the enchantress reveal?
The above is a paragraph from an article at Daily Yomiuri Online where a more mundy world secret was revealed. (It's also in the comments in case it disappears.) I loved the fact the show is called Witchy Women and the announcer called her an enchantress :-) Though perhaps both are Japanese terms and the translator is responsible for the inspiration!
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Fashioning the future / Model/TV personality Sato transcending gender stereotypes
Makoto Fukuda / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer
Viewers watching NTV's variety show Witchy Women last August were likely on the edge of their seats when the host delivered the following spiel: "Please welcome a young enchantress who's going to divulge a heck of a secret, even though it could cost her dearly in terms of employment."
Ostentatiously decorated doors then slowly opened to reveal up-and-coming model Kayo Sato striking a classic pose, as the on-screen blurb let viewers in on the scoop: "Kayo Sato is actually a man."
Sato exuded femininity--from her physical appearance to the soft undulations of her voice.
After some initial banter, the program then screened a prerecorded video of her visiting the editorial department of the Nagoya-based fashion magazine where she'd previously worked as a model. "Er, there's something I'd like to tell you," she told her former colleagues timidly. After some hesitation, she finally blurted out her secret: "The truth is, I was born a man."
Scouted at age 18 while working part-time in a clothes shop, she subsequently modeled exclusively for the Tokai region fashion magazine Tokai Spy Girl until 2009. Since moving to Tokyo last September, her life as a TV personality has gotten into full swing.
"Initially, I didn't think I'd disclose my secret," reminisces the now 22-year-old Sato. "When I finally found a satisfying job that I loved--as a female model--I decided to just go with the flow. Rumors started circulating, though, and my office even got e-mails saying, 'Sato's a man.' Eventually, I screwed up my courage and confided in my boss, who was kind enough to say, 'The bottom line is you've got something special and unique to offer.'"
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Feminine tendencies
Looking back on her early years, the Aichi Prefecture native says: "I liked girly things; I wanted to live like a girl. However, I was born a boy, so I guess I kind of accepted my lot and just got on with things." She recalls playing "let's pretend" games with her female friends, and says she was a big fan of the anime series Sailor Moon.
As she got older, however, Sato began to feel pressure to conform to masculine "norms," such as wearing a black school satchel. She also recalls how teachers and others around her told her to "act like a man."
At middle school, she grew to hate wearing her school uniform and started skipping classes. She began adopting a female lifestyle, dyeing her hair blond and sporting the deeply tanned skin associated with the "gyaru" subculture. She also started to disappear from home for days at a time, and on one occasion, even contemplated throwing herself from the top of an apartment block after someone from her past threatened to blow the whistle on her gender-related secret.
Notes Sato: "The one person who was really there for me was my mom--even though I caused her a lot of grief. When I was little, she'd secretly buy me toys for girls, unbeknownst to my dad, and she'd visit my school to try and smooth things out for me.
When I decided to be open with people about my life, my mom really encouraged me, saying, "There's bound to be a few people who'll turn against you, but you should strive to do your best for those who choose to accept you as you are.'"
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The game of life
Prior to revealing her secret on the Witchy Women show, Sato canceled all her work contracts. Her appearance caused a considerable stir online and her blog was inundated with comments. The program proved to be Sato's big break: She began fielding an increasing number of invitations to appear on TV shows, and fulfilled a long-cherished desire when she was tapped to appear in the "Tokyo Girls Collection" fashion show.
"At first, I wasn't too thrilled when I thought about how I might be perceived [when people found out the truth about me]," she says. "But the friends in whom I'd previously confided all said they felt closer to me as a result. It's not that I don't want people to try and understand my circumstances; rather, I want to be known as a model, a TV personality, and ultimately, just as a person. If I give it my all, then hopefully these things will come to pass."
Before hitting the big time, Sato was known as something of a hotshot in the gaming world, where she operated under the name "Kayo Police." In 2002, her team came second in the all-Japan King of Fighters competition. She recalls: "My older brother started gaming when I was in middle school, and I got into it, too. When I'm playing, everything goes out of my mind and I become totally immersed in the game. Other titles I like include Tekken and Super Street Fighter 4.
"Even now, when I have some free time I'll fire up a console," adds Sato, who is now a regular on the late-night NTV program Gamers TV--Yoasobi San Shimai.
Recently, there seems to a certain softening of attitudes regarding gender and identity: Sato's appearance on Witchy Women; the high profiles of such transgender TV personalities as Ai Haruna and Ikko (both of whom often appear on the Witchy show); and the appearance of young male characters in drag in anime and games all suggest that times--and mind-sets--are changing.
Sato lives her life in a wholly natural manner. She's never had facial cosmetic surgery and is still listed as male in her family register. She notes: "That might change at some point in the future, but at the moment, the way I live my life hopefully sends out a message to all the youngsters out there trying to cope with the same worries as me. If there's something they really want to do, I think they should just go for it and give it their all!"
Sato remains firmly focused on the future and has even set her sights beyond her native shores, saying, "One day, I'd like to try my luck working abroad."
You can keep up-to-date with Sato's daily life by visiting her official blog at ameblo.jp/pixy-kayo.
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Kayo Sato's 'Re-born'
"Re-born," a photo-essay book featuring model/TV personality Kayo Sato, hits the shelves next Thursday.
Sato says putting out such a book was one of her objectives when she first started modeling, noting that she personally came up with the title to reflect her feelings of being born anew.
"In the book, I wanted to write honestly and freely about how I felt at various times in my life," she explains.
This desire to be open manifests itself in the recounting of episodes including being taken into custody by the police, and falsifying her insurance card so people would think she was female. Sato's candor also extends to her love life, family and friends.
The book, which showcases Sato's enigmatic, androgynous attractiveness, constitutes her first-ever semi-nude photographic collection.
Published by Kodansha Ltd., the book traces Sato's life to date and includes photos of her in a schoolgirl uniform, pictures of her with no makeup on, and snapshots from her childhood and days as a "gyaru."
(Jun. 17, 2011)
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