Go Hirano (平野剛) was a Japanese homoerotic fetish artist. Along with Go Mishima, Sanshi Funayama and Tatsuji Okawa, he is regarded by artist and historian Gengoroh Tagame as a central figure in the first wave of contemporary gay artists in Japan. His illustrations are noted for their realist art style, and often featured masculine men with body hair.

In the 1960s Hirano was published in Fuzokukitan, a fetish magazine that published gay content alongside straight and lesbian content. His art regularly appeared in Barazoku, the first commercially circulated gay magazine in Japan, from the 1970s through to the 1990s.

Hirano is an enigmatic figure, and little is known about him. According to Ito Bungaku, the editor-in-chief of Barazoku, Hirano submitted his articles anonymously and never showed up in person.

His illustrations left a lasting impression on his contemporaries and the artists who followed in his footsteps.

We are very grateful to our Russian friend Yuri for suggesting the inclusion of this artist, and for supplying the images.