What is mao sugiyama?

Mao Sugiyama is a performance artist from Japan who gained notoriety in 2012 for cooking and serving his own genitals to a small group of diners at a restaurant in Tokyo. Sugiyama identifies as asexual and had undergone genital removal surgery. He then offered to serve his genitals, which he had frozen and molded into a dish resembling a cooked Japanese meal, to those willing to pay around $250 per serving. The event sparked controversy and drew criticism from many who saw it as a disrespectful and degrading act. Sugiyama defended his performance as a statement on gender identity and a challenge to societal norms surrounding the body. Since the incident, Sugiyama has continued to work as a performance artist, often exploring themes of sexuality and identity.