It was the turn of the century, our fin de siècle. I had written, wanting to shine the bright light of day on my life as a sexworker: my peers, and queer life. First published in 2000 and also published in South Korea in 2018, the renowned book by the artist Akira the Hustler is now being eagerly reissued in a renewed edition! This is a book of diary entries by AKIRA, who worked as a sex worker in the late 1990s, a time when the era of AIDS being synonymous with death was coming to an end. It chronicles their experiences with clients, friends, and lovers from that time. In an era when stories about queer individuals and sex workers were often told through a lens of darkness and sorrow, this narrative shines with brightness and joy. Even 25 years after its publication, this masterpiece remains timeless, continuing to light up and warm the hearts of its readers. Japanese and Chinese (Traditional) bilingual edition Includes a booklet with Korean and English translations ＊＊＊＊＊＊ ◎From the Publisher Loneliness Books, a one-of-a-kind bookstore in Higashi-Nakano, Tokyo, specializes in collecting books and zines featuring stories of LGBTQ+ individuals across Asia. Now, for the first time as a publishing label, Loneliness Books is proud to reissue The Hustler’s Diary by AKIRA THE HUSTLER. Originally published in 2000 by the Watari-Um Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo and later released in Korean by SUNNY BOOKS in Seoul in 2018, both editions sold out long ago, making the book difficult to obtain for years. Set in late-1990s Tokyo, the book recounts AKIRA's encounters as a sex worker with clients spanning multiple generations. It also tells the story of AKIRA’s days spent with a lover and numerous friends. Even 25 years after its initial publication in 2000, it remains rare in Japan to find works that illuminate the lives of queer sex workers in such an open and positive light. This timeless masterpiece continues to bring readers hope and solace, standing by their side like a trusted companion. This reissued edition includes a newly written preface by AKIRA, along with refreshed photography and design. It also features a new Traditional Chinese translation, while supplementary booklets contain translations in English and Korean, making this release available in four languages. We hope you’ll take this opportunity to pick up and explore this remarkable work. ＊＊＊＊＊＊ ◎From the text My boyfriend calls his cock his “little rat.” First time I heard him say it we were in a car together. It was three days after we’d met. He’d taken me out to a Korean restaurant in Shin-Okubo for an all-you-can-eat buffet. Afterwards I got a hard-on as we were kissing in his car. When I told him, he said “Really? What a funny little rat!” He’d given his cock this pet name as a child. I mean, I think that my cock is pretty cute too, but I’d never met anyone who went that far before. I was charmed. ・・・・・・・・・ Afterwards, as were having tea, he was telling me about how completely exhausted he gets at his desk job. “When that happens to me l get on my bike and pedal aimlessly around town. What do you do?” I inquired. “I come to you” he replied sheepishly, and laughed. ・・・・・・・・・ There was a boy that came to me saying that it was his first time with a man. He kept staring at me with a look of uncertainty in his eyes.Then he came, and clung to me. I’ll show him all of the joys in my treasure chest. I’d love for him to take all of the pleasures back inside of him when he goes home tonight. All of that will eventually turn into courage. I’m here today because so many others have done that for me, you know. ・・・・・・・・・ “Lying about your true self, even if it covers your ass, makes no contribution to a better world.” Some day, no matter how far into the future, our children, or our great great grandchildren, whether they’re gay, or prostitutes, or whatever else,will all need a better world to lead fulfilling lives. At least, for the gays, we’ve come a long way, baby, to get where we got to today. But this is only due to the efforts of those who came before us, and cleared the way for our present freedoms. Even if we’re not all leaving physical offspring, we do have an important legacy of connecting lives to honor. ＊＊＊＊＊＊ ◎Profile Akira The Hustler Akira the Hustler was born in Tokyo in 1969. He launched the "Living Together Project" to bring awareness to the HIV affected community and other minority groups in 2004. His recent exhibitions include "STREET JUSTICE: Art, Sound and Power", Galaxy - Gingakei, Tokyo (2018), "Reborn Art Festival 2017", Ishinomaki (2017), "Love's Body-art in the age of AIDS", Tokyo metropolitan museum of Photography, Tokyo (2010). Public collections include Collection Lambert, France and The Watari Museum of Contemporary Art, Japan. ＊＊＊＊＊＊ ◎About Shipping For customers residing in Taiwan, we will ship from Taichung for the cost of domestic shipping plus packing materials. Customers outside Japan and Taiwan will be shipped from Japan by EMS (Express Mail Service). ＊＊＊＊＊＊ A Whore Diary By Akira the Hustler Translation：David d’Heilly Publisher：loneliness books H210mm×W138mm／160P／Korean booklet 60P／English booklet 54P