Wearing glossy make-up and a cute dress covered with artificial flowers, transsexual Japanese entertainer Ai Haruna caught everyone's attention when she turned up at a local shopping centre earlier this week.
Haruna was among the cast of Japan's first 3-D animated feature, Little Ghostly Adventures of the Tofu Boy, and was in town with co-director Kawahara Shimmei to attend the premiere at the Hong Kong International Film Festival. Adapted from a work by Natsuhiko Kyogoku, the movie follows the adventures of goblin Tofu Boy (voiced by actress Fukada Kyoko) in search of his mother. The film will be released in Japan next month and local cinemas later this year.
An Osaka native, 38-year-old Haruna used to be Kenji Onishi, a man with gender identity disorder. After receiving sexual reassignment surgery in 1995, she launched a career as Ai Haruna, impersonating popular singers such as Matsuda Seiko and Aya Matsuura.
Two years ago, Haruna won the Miss International Queen Pageant, an annual beauty contest for transsexuals and transgender people in Pattaya, Thailand. Last year, she signed a record deal with Avex and released a CD, Crazy Love.
Can you tell us something about the character you voice in Tofu Boy?
It is a Japanese raccoon dog named 702 Tanuki. It's a mischievous character who loves to make fun of people. During the recording, I had no idea whether it was male or female until they showed a scene of the character falling from a height and I saw its private parts. I realised it was actually a boy. We are so alike!