A Japanese artist cooked his own genitals and served them to five paying diners in Tokyo to cover the medical costs, in a bizarre act to raise awareness about sexual minorities. Mao Sugiyama had his penis and testicles surgically removed in March and kept them frozen for two months before dishing them out-seasoned and braised-to customers at an event hall. Diners paid 20,000 yen ($250) for the plate with a portion of genitals. The meal came complete with mushrooms and a parsley garnish. The painter, who is reportedly 22, said on Twitter the organ had been removed by a physician and certified to be free of infections. The meal was prepared under the supervision of a certified cook and diners were required to sign a waiver indemnifying Sugiyama and event organisers. “I receive questions from some women and men saying ‘Please host it again.’ But there is only one set of male organ,” he tweeted. Sugiyama, who considers himself “asexual”, that is without gender. In an email to AFP, he confirmed the event had taken place and said it was organised to raise awareness about “sexual minorities, x-gender, asexual people”. He said he was readying to publish an official account of the day. Police in Tokyo said they knew of the episode, but added that it had not broken the law as cannibalism was not illegal in Japan.
