Tag: japan gay rights

Japan Court Rules It Is ‘Unconstitutional’ to Force Transgender People Be Sterilized

The law has long been decried by LGBTQ+ rights groups, and previous challenges in court have been struck down. Tokyo (CNN) — Japan’s top court has ruled that a government requirement for transgender people to be sterilized before they could be legally recognized was unconstitutional, in a victory for the country’s LGBTQ community years in… Read more »

The Religious Right’s Hidden Sway as Japan Trails Allies on Gay Rights

As a G7 summit nears in Hiroshima, Japan is under pressure to show greater support for equality. A national Shinto group has spread a more hostile message. To millions of Japanese, the Shinto faith is not so much a spiritual practice as a cultural one. Every January, crowds gather at shrines to pray for good… Read more »

Second Japanese court rules same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional

Judge issued ruling in Nagoya In a ruling issued Tuesday, the Nagoya District Court became the second major higher court in the country to rule that the lack of legal recognition of same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. Presiding Judge Osamu Nishimura said more people have become supportive of recognizing same-sex marriage, and the reasoning behind excluding… Read more »

Tokyo issues long-awaited same-sex partnership certificates

Partnership certificates allow same-sex couples to be treated as married couples in areas like housing, health and welfare Tokyo’s metropolitan government began issuing partnership certificates to same-sex couples who live and work in the capital on Tuesday, a move that’s been long-awaited in a country that still does not allow equal marriage. The status does… Read more »

Tokyo issues long-awaited same-sex partnership certificates

Partnership certificates allow same-sex couples to be treated as married couples in areas like housing, health and welfare Tokyo’s metropolitan government began issuing partnership certificates to same-sex couples who live and work in the capital on Tuesday, a move that’s been long-awaited in a country that still does not allow equal marriage. The status does… Read more »

Tokyo Plans Recognition of Same-Sex Unions, But Not Marriage Equality

The city of Tokyo has announced a plan to give legal recognition to same-sex unions, but they will not be the same as marriages. Officials with Tokyo’s metropolitan government have proposed offering a certificate to same-sex couples, which would give them access to joint apartment rentals, hospital visitations, and other privileges that are often limited… Read more »

Japan’s first trans march held in Tokyo’s Shinjuku area to raise awareness on rights

Tokyo – Japan’s first ever trans march was held in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward on Nov. 20, and called on people to recognize human rights and dignity for the transgender community. Some 400 participants marched for about 1.7 kilometers in the area surrounding Shinjuku Station and through high-rise buildings downtown, while holding up trans pride flags… Read more »

A Gold Medal for Homophobia in Japan

Japan’s Ruling Party Members Slur LGBT Community Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights activists in Japan and their allies have for years been pressing the Diet, the national parliament, to introduce legislation that protects sexual orientation and gender identity as grounds for nondiscrimination. One proposed law – the Equality Act – is currently under… Read more »

Tokyo’s High Court Rules Same Sex Marriages Have The Same Rights As Straight Marriages

In an apparent first high court ruling of its kind, a same-sex common-law couple in Japan has been recognized as having the same legal protections as a married couple, after the Tokyo High Court ruled in favor of a woman who sued her former same-sex partner for damages over infidelity at an appeal decision on… Read more »

Japan’s Support for Gay Marriage Is Soaring. But Can It Become Law?

The country is being pulled in two directions as it experiences a “boom” in L.G.B.T. awareness but also remains committed to a sometimes inflexible traditional culture. Tokyo — Ikuo Sato stood in front of a Tokyo court in April and told the world he was gay. To a packed room, he described the anxiety he… Read more »

Japan’s Support for Gay Marriage Is Soaring. But Can It Become Law?

The country is being pulled in two directions as it experiences a “boom” in L.G.B.T. awareness but also remains committed to a sometimes inflexible traditional culture. Tokyo — Ikuo Sato stood in front of a Tokyo court in April and told the world he was gay. To a packed room, he described the anxiety he… Read more »

LGBTI people ‘were not expected’ argues Japanese govt

Plaintiffs in landmark equal marriage accused the government of ‘denying their existence’ by arguing they were not expected when the constitution was written The Japanese government on Monday (8 July) argued LGBTI people ‘were not expected’ and are therefore not covered by the Constitution’s marriage clause. Thirteen couples are suing the Japanese government to recognize… Read more »

Japan opposition parties rally in bid to pass marriage equality

Will Japan follow Taiwan in passing same-sex marriage? Major opposition parties in Japan submitted a bill today (3 June) calling for marriage equality. In a move just under a week after Taiwan became the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, lawmakers are in high hopes, Bloomberg reported. But where the ruling party are… Read more »

Tokyo Rainbow Pride is upon us and here’s how Japan celebrates love

Keep those cherry blossom and rainbow outfit pictures coming Tokyo Rainbow Pride is upon us and here’s what you can do to celebrate Move over, cherry trees. This coming weekend there will be another colorful sight to see in Tokyo, Japan. The capital of the island country will celebrate its LGBTI community with the annual… Read more »

Japan’s former defense minister takes up fight for LGBTI rights

Tomomi Inada has said she wants to promote LGBTI issues as fierce debates over the acceptance of LGBTI rights continue A former defense minister of Japan has said she aims to ‘promote understanding’ of LGBTI rights issues. Tomomi Inada has described LGBTI rights as a ‘human rights issue’ which transcends left or right political beliefs.… Read more »

At least 13 couples will now sue Japan’s government over same-sex marriage

This is the country’s largest ever push for marriage equality A lesbian couple in northern Japan became the 13th couple to join a nationwide campaign to sue the Japanese government to recognize same-sex marriages. The two women submitted their marriage registration documents to Sapporo’s Chuo Ward office this week, according to Asahi Shimbun. They expect… Read more »

Japan’s Supreme Court rules transgender people still have to get sterilised

The Supreme Court of Japan has upheld a law which forces transgender people to get sterilised before they can legally change their gender. The panel of four justices ruled unanimously on Thursday (January 24) to reject an appeal filed by Takakito Usui, a trans man who wants to change the gender on his official documents,… Read more »

Partnerships, politics, and Japan’s own Stonewall Riot

Stonewall 50: With elections, lawsuits, and a swell in visibility, 2019 could be a milestone year for LGBTI Japan In July last year, a lawmaker from Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Mio Sugita, said LGBTI people were ‘unproductive’. It caused a big problem. Around 5,000 people protested outside the party headquarters in Tokyo. The… Read more »

Nine percent of Japan’s population is LGBT, research finds

The estimated LGBT population also rose by 1.3% since 2015 Research has found 8.9 percent of Japan’s population identify as LGBT. Dentsu, Japan’s largest advertising agency, surveyed 60,000 Japanese residents between the ages of 20 and 59 in October 2018. Importantly, 8.9 percent identified as LGBTI. What’s more, this is up from 7.6 percent in… Read more »

Same-sex couples to sue Japan’s government over marriage equality

The 10 same-sex couples say that not recognizing marriage equality in unconstitutional Ten same-sex couples in Japan are planning to file a lawsuit against the government for not recognizing marriage equality. The couples’ lawsuit states that the government’s position on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, The Japan Times reports. The suit refers to a passage in… Read more »

Tokyo bars LGBTI discrimination ahead of 2020 Olympic Games

New legislation protects against gender and sexuality based discrimination and promises LGBTI education programs in Japan’s capital, Tokyo The Tokyo Metropolitan Government on Friday (5 October) passed a bill to tackle discrimination against the LGBTI community ahead of the Olympics in 2020. ‘This act upholds the goal of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to make Tokyo… Read more »

With the theme ‘love and equality,’ this year’s march saw the biggest attendance yet.

Some 7,000 people attended Tokyo Rainbow Pride in Japan this weekend, up from 5,000 in 2016, according to organizers. “Everyone is equal in love. We seek no special rights, but the same thing, the same way. The freedom to love. That basic freedom is what we want to achieve,” organizers told Pink News. Some 37… Read more »

Japan’s Fukuoka Begins Registering Same Sex Couples

Seventh municipality in Japan begins registering LGBT couples, continuing march to greater equality in the country. Southwest Japan’s Fukuoka Municipal Government on Monday began recognizing LGBT couples this week, becoming the seventh municipality in the country to offer such registrations after Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward began in 2015. Fukuoka Mayor Soichiro Takashima handed the first official… Read more »

Same-sex couples officially recognized in one of Japan’s big cities

Lots of couples flocked to have their relationships registered in just the first few days Same-sex couples can now register their relationship in Fukuoka, one of Japan’s biggest cities. Fukuoka Mayor Soichiro Takashima made the announcement about the good news in February. But now everything is up and running for the partnership oath system which… Read more »

‘Boys For Sale’: The Dark World Of Japan’s Gay Prostitution

Although technically not illegal, gay prostitution remains cloaked in secrecy, and a new film reveals the ‘boys’ themselves often have no idea about the health risks they are taking It took the creators of the documentary Boys For Sale more than a year to fully win the confidence of the male prostitutes, owners of gay… Read more »

What’s It Like Being A Gay Student In Japan?

In a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ society, teachers receive directives but no training to support anxious, closeted children when they are ‘outed’ Loretto Cunningham has had a rough day at work. A well-meaning colleague inadvertently revealed her sexuality to a senior member of staff at one of the primary schools in Tokyo where she teaches… Read more »

Japanese city of two million becomes biggest to recognise same-sex partnerships

Two million more people can have their same-sex relationships legally recognised from today. Sapporo became the first major city in Japan to issue official partnership vow papers to those who wish to enter a legal same-sex union. And the city on the northern island of Hokkaido will also recognise heterosexual relationships involving at least one… Read more »

Here are 12 pictures of Tokyo Pride which will make your day

Tokyo’s Rainbow Pride parade is always a sight to behold – and this year smashed all expectations. A record 6,000 people attended the event yesterday, in the Shibuya district of the Japanese capital. The parade, which has taken place every year since 2012, was given the theme “Change” this year, and 23 floats did their… Read more »

Tokyo Rainbow Pride participants march for ‘change’ in LGBT recognition

Thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people paraded through Tokyo’s Shibuya district on Sunday to express hope that Japan will further embrace gender equality and diversity. The LGBT parade was the finale to the annual Tokyo Rainbow Pride festival, and this year’s theme was “Change.” “I believed that nothing would change. But, little by… Read more »

Straight Asian Men Love To Kiss!

Japan’s thoughts on LGBT life still need a little work, but they might be getting some unexpected help. On the underground, Japan has a busy and thriving gay culture. Populated areas have plenty of gay centers and spots for LGBT people. In addition, the country originated the comic genres of Yaoi and Bara, which caters… Read more »

Japanese city becomes first to officially recognise same-sex foster parents

A city in Japan has become the first to recognise a first same-sex couple as foster parents. The gay couple in Osaka, who are in their 40s and 30s, has now officially fostered a teenage boy, who has been living with them since February. The older of the two men – who asked not to… Read more »

Circuit Parties Began Fading in North America a Decade Ago—Why Are They So Hot in Asia?

On Saturday, hordes of gay men and other dance lovers will descend upon a club space in Manhattan for the Black Party, an edgier, kinkier underground variant of the “circuit party,” a gay institution that has, for better or worse, defined a certain strain of macho, drug-embracing, sex-positive party culture since their initial appearance around… Read more »

Japanese city set to become biggest to recognise same-sex relationships

Nearly two million more people will be able to have their LGBT relationships legally recognised from June. Sapporo, a Japanese city on the northern island of Hokkaido, has finished a public consultation which led to an overwhelming 1,500 people writing in to support the proposal. Opponents who wrote in were largely concerned that the step… Read more »

Sapporo set to become first city in Japan to recognize same-sex partnerships

Congratulations Sapporo! Sapporo is set to become the first city in Japan to recognize same-sex legal partnerships. While law still defines marriage as between a man and a woman in Japan, progress is slowly being made to give gay couples some legal protections to their relationship. In 2015, Tokyo’s Shibuya district announced it would allow… Read more »

With Manicures and Makeup, Japan’s ‘Genderless’ Blur Line Between Pink and Blue

Tokyo — With the precision of a craftsman painting a ceramic doll, Toman Sasaki blended foundation onto his fine-boned face, shaded the side of his nose with blush and shaped his lip color with a small brush. After 40 minutes of primping in his tiny studio apartment in Tokyo, he peered into a hand mirror… Read more »

Japan election manifestos free LGBT rights from political closet

When openly gay independent candidate Wataru Ishizaka campaigned for a 2007 Tokyo local election, people snickered at his speeches, but now even Japan’s conservative ruling party mentions gay rights in its platform for this year’s upper house election. Though the paragraph is deep in the manifesto of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)… Read more »

Tokyo Pride Parade-Goers Share Their Dreams For Japan’s LGBT Community

Thousands marched through Tokyo’s streets this weekend to celebrate Japan’s sexually marginalized groups. The Tokyo Rainbow Pride parade saw high levels of participation this year, with thousands of people marching through Yoyogi Park on May 7 and 8 to raise awareness of Japan’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. The march comes at a time… Read more »

Human Rights Watch Calls Bullying Of LGBT Students In Japan ‘Epidemic’

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday released an 84-page report on the bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students in Japanese schools. In the report, titled The Nail That Sticks Out Gets Hammered Down: LGBT Bullying and Exclusion in Japanese Schools, HRW mostly blames the Japanese government for the nation’s “bullying epidemic.” “Based on… Read more »

“The Nail That Sticks Out Gets Hammered Down”

LGBT Bullying and Exclusion in Japanese Schools These comics tell the stories of specific individuals Human Rights Watch interviewed, using their own words to describe their experiences. In a few instances the artist added language to provide necessary context. Summary Japan: Bullied LGBT Students Unprotected May 5, 2016 Japan: Bullied LGBT Students Unprotected Policies, National… Read more »

Japanese tech giant Panasonic to ‘recognise’ same-sex marriages despite lack of legal status

Japanese tech giant Panasonic has made a bold statement by extending employment rights to its gay and lesbian employees – despite a lack of government recognition. Though homosexuality has long been legal in Japan, the country does not formally recognise same-sex partnerships – and households headed by same-sex couples are ineligible for the legal protections… Read more »