Japan

LGBTI Rights in Japan


ADDED ON: 02/05/2022

Beyond Boundaries: Drag Queen of Tokyo

Madame Bonjour JohnJ is a drag queen/performer/activist who desires "a world of glitter beyond boundaries."  Most of the week, JohnJ manages Community Centre Akta, a HIV/AIDS information centre and event space located…

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ADDED ON: 01/28/2022

First non-binary Winter Olympian challenges ice skating stereotypes

LONDON, Jan 21 (Openly) - When Timothy LeDuc takes to the ice in Beijing as the first openly non-binary Winter Olympian, the figure skater aims to challenge gender stereotypes and pave the…

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ADDED ON: 01/11/2022

Tokyo same-sex partner plans highlight road ahead for LGBTQ rights.

Many welcomed Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike's recent announcement that a same-sex partnership system would be introduced for all of Tokyo in fiscal 2022. But some LGBTQ activists have pointed out that much…

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ADDED ON: 01/07/2022

Transgender woman referred to prosecutors for using Osaka ladies room

A transgender woman was referred to prosecutors Thursday for suspected trespassing after using the ladies room in a commercial facility in Osaka, in a case an expert on LGBT issues fears might…

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ADDED ON: 12/27/2021

Nearly all Japan’s school boards scrap gender field on applications

As of Sunday, students applying to enter public high schools from next spring will no longer be required to specify their gender on the application form in all of the nation’s 47…

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ADDED ON: 12/20/2021

Two Japanese LGBTQ rights activists of different faiths find common ground

Buddhist monk Kodo Nishimura and Christian pastor Yoshiki Nakamura share a belief that LGBTQ lifestyles and organized religion can coexist, even when Japanese society makes people believe that finding such commonality is impossible. Often,…

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ADDED ON: 12/08/2021

Tokyo governor plans to introduce de facto same-sex marriage next year

Tokyo Metropolitan government will start a system that effectively allows same-sex marriage in Japan's capital in the next fiscal year from April, Japan's Kyodo news wire reported Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike as…

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ADDED ON: 10/19/2021

Japanese TV Drama’s Gay Character Sign of LGBTQ Acceptance or Just Opportunism?

The recent Tokyo Olympics offered hopes of Japan adopting more nuanced and inclusive views of LGBTQ lifestyles and challenges. As an example, 2018 saw the first-ever openly gay character in an asadora…

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ADDED ON: 10/13/2021

Trans Man Fights Japan’s Sterilization Requirement

A Japanese transgender man, Gen Suzuki, 46, has filed a court request to have his legal gender recognized as male without undergoing sterilization surgery as prescribed by national law. His case highlights…

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ADDED ON: 09/29/2021

Japan’s new prime minister could herald a ‘historic moment’ for LGBT+ rights

Japan is about to get a new prime minister – and two candidates in particular have the potential to transform LGBT+ rights, including same-sex marriage. After the current Japanese prime minister Yoshihide…

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ADDED ON: 09/15/2021

Harassment led transgender nurse to develop health issues

A labor ministry office in Ibaraki, Osaka Prefecture, concluded that a transgender hospital worker’s mental health issues were the result of months of being misgendered by other employees, The Asahi Shimbun has…

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ADDED ON: 08/14/2021

LGBTQ stars grabbed spotlight at Olympics, but Japanese athletes remained hidden

If LGBTQ athletes at the Tokyo Olympics were their own country, they would have been in the top 10 on the medal table. Around 180 athletes at the event were openly LGBTQ,…

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