"Forbidden Colours 禁色" was published two years after "Confessions of a Mask" and, like its predecessor, it is now also an LBGTQ+ classic, though it takes a considerably different approach. It is known for its all-encompassing description of the Tokyo underground gay scene of the 1950s, but not so much an explicit psycho-analysis like that of the previous title. At the epic length of 600 pages, it comes across as being an immoral retelling of Mann's "Death in Venice" and Dicken's "Great Expectations" - after a chance encounter at a shore with a poor, "beautiful" young man who is "unable to love women", a wealthy, "ugly" old man manipulates him and his beauty to seduce and break the hearts of women, in particular the women who offended the old man in his youth. In the story, everyone, men or women, eventually falls in love with the young man one way or another, almost becoming a farcical (gay) harem towards the end. It is a controversial work and a challenge to read, not just because of the sheer length, density and subject matter, but primarily because of the emotional ambivalence and lack of resolution which, in retrospect, are hallmarks of Mishima's aesthetics. Not being a member of the LBGTQ+ community, I am unable to comment on the context or accuracy of the events or physical and social challenges of the characters. In 2025, some progress have been made in more liberal societies to make this book a historical document, but sadly it remains gruesomely relevant in other parts of the world. No colours should be forbidden. Let people love, that's what I will say.
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