Tomoyuki Oishi is probably the only LGBTI person living in his small village in Nagano prefecture, Japan. ‘I like the village, but it feels very cramped’ the 36-year-old told Gay Star News. Oishi is unable to come out to his family and has only told a couple of close friends that he is gay. ‘I do not know how my family would react’ he said. ’There are not many people in the village who understand my feelings. I doubt I would be respected as an individual’. Oishi’s experience is not uncommon for LGBTI Japanese. A survey earlier this year found 9% of Japan’s population identify as LGBT.