Hundreds of people rallied in Tokyo to highlight the urgency of calls to protect the rights of transgender people. Organizers estimated that about 1,000 people, Japanese and foreign residents alike, took part in the Nov. 12 parade in Shinjuku Ward. Participants hoisted placards displaying various messages to get their point across. The demonstration was organized by Tomoya Asanuma, 33, and Tomato Hatakeno, 57. As transgenders, they work to disseminate information to raise public awareness about people whose gender identity is different from the gender they were thought to be at birth. The rally, the second such one in the capital, was held ahead of “Transgender Day of Remembrance” on Nov. 20, which is marked globally to commemorate transgender people who died as a result of harassment, hate crime and other forms of discrimination.