Key Points
- 10,000 people marched through Tokyo for an LGBTIQ+ pride parade on 23 April.
- Business lobbies say the gap between Japan and other countries on LGBTIQ+ issues is "embarrassing".
- Allowing same-sex marriage would require amending Japan's constitution.
Cheering, flag-waving crowds gathered in Tokyo for the first full Pride parade in four years, celebrating advances in LGBTIQ+ rights but demanding Japan join other advanced nations in legally recognising same-sex marriage.
Change is slow in Japan, which hosts a summit next month of the Group of Seven industrial powers as the only member of the G7 that does not recognise same-sex marriage.
But growing support from the nation's top business lobby and major companies is putting pressure on the government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his conservative ruling party.
Organisers estimated 10,000 people marched in Sunday's parade in the downtown Shibuya district. Participants said they realised how their nation lagged behind the rest of the G7 but were hopeful of change.
"Japan is really far behind ... We will fight until the entire country has same-sex marriage," said Himama, sporting a pink-dyed goatee and declining to give his real name out of consideration for family members.
"I think the government is both pretending to see us and pretending not to, but that change will really start happening from here on in."
Where do politicians stand?
Masako Mori, a special adviser to Mr Kishida on LGBTIQ+ affairs, attended, but did not mention same-sex marriage in brief remarks before the parade began, instead urging a "greater understanding of LGBTIQ+."
Crowds lined the sidewalks, waving rainbow flags and shouting "Happy Pride" at marchers, who included a group from Taiwan - the only Asian nation with same-sex marriage.
Since the last pre-pandemic Pride parade in 2019, the number of Japanese municipalities allowing same-sex couples to enter partnership agreements has surged from 26 to around 300, covering some 65 per cent of the population.
These do not allow partners to inherit each other's assets and deny them parental rights to each other's children. Hospital visits are not guaranteed.
Plaintiffs and supporters react in front of the Tokyo District Court in Tokyo, following a ruling in a lawsuit filed by same-sex couples seeking damages from the government. Source: Getty / Kazuhiro Nogi
"Circumstances in each country are different, and I believe it is important to proceed with discussions carefully," Mr Kishida told a foreign media roundtable on Thursday.
Japan's constitution refers to marriage as being between "both sexes" and mentions "the equal rights of husband and wife". Allowing same-sex marriage would require amending the civil code.
'Embarrassing' gap
Some lawmakers have vowed to pass a law promoting "understanding of LGBTIQ+" before the summit.
Activists and business leaders say this is a good step but falls short, noting that Japan at last year's G7 summit committed to ensuring equal rights and anti-discrimination measures for LGBTIQ+.
Masakazu Tokura, head of the powerful Keidanren business lobby, said in March he found the gap between Japan and other countries on LGBTIQ+ issues "embarrassing" during a trip to the US.
The situation has long limited the talent pool for global firms, but even traditional Japanese companies now find their international competitiveness endangered without diversity, including LGBTIQ+ rights.
"Basically all the debates would be by Japanese men, and that made it hard to grow as a global firm," said Chika Sato, chief diversity officer at NEC.
Foreign sponsors dominated the early days of Tokyo Pride, but this year's roster includes Japanese firms from Panasonic and manufacturer IHI to Japan Post and Mitsubishi Materials.
"Conservative politicians' idea of traditional family may be hard to change, but the idea of boosting Japan's economy will definitely resonate," said Takeharu Kato, a member of the activist group "Marriage for All Japan" and a lawyer in a landmark 2021 case over LGBTIQ+ marriage rights.
