Tag Archives: Japan

Edges Of The Rainbow: A Photographic Book About The Japanese LGBTQ Community

Edges of the Rainbow, is a new photo book by Parisian-born New York photographer Michel Delsol and Tokyo-born journalist Haruku Shinozaki.

It unveils the fascinating, resilient and unforgettable characters within the country’s proud and present LGBTQ community.

Japan has experienced its own set of historical challenges for it’s LGBTQ community. However, despite conservative ideologies – that encourage the community to remain unseen – change is occurring within the country.

In Edges of the Rainbow, we are introduced to a gay Episcopal priest; a lesbian couple who discuss their lives via radio and TV; a trans female pop star; an intersex author; a gay, all-male music group that addresses LGBTQ culture through electronic music; among other inspiring and motivated people all living their lives openly and honestly.

New NYC Art Exhibit Shows Genderfluid Japan

What do you think of when you think of Japan?

You might think of rigid gender binaries where men love women so much that they fall in love with pillows with images of women printed on them. You might think of the sharp divide between shonen, which are cartoons aimed at boys, and which deal with fighting and battles, and shojo, which are aimed at teen girls and almost always deal with relationships and love. You might think of geishas, professional female entertainers in thick makeup.

But not too long ago, Japan led the way in blurring gender binaries.

Between 1603 and 1868, when American colonists were burning witches at the stake and English women were being locked up for “hysteria,” Japan was exploring fluid ideas of gender and sexuality.

Teenage boys called wakashu dressed extremely effeminately. Japanese people considered them a third gender, and men and women both pursued (and were pursued by) them sexually. When wakashu grew out of adolescence then they, too, could pursue wakashu.

This is much like “boy love” in Ancient Greece, except for one distinct difference – women too could sleep with wakashu, indicating that Japanese people thought of both sexuality and gender as loose guidelines instead of strict boundaries. People didn’t have to be married to have sex, and sex was far from purely procreative.

Curve Magazine remarks that in Edo culture, “homo-eroticism, androgyny, gender ambiguity and bisexuality flourished and were encouraged.” Women slept with each other as often as they did men.

A new NY exhibition called A Third Gender: Beautiful Youths in Japanese Prints explores the history more thoroughly in order to shine the light on non-Western ideas of sex and sexuality. Clearly, Puritan Christian rules were not the norm everywhere.

The exhibition features books, woodblock prints, paintings and “lovely objects.” One of the most prominent features of the exhibit is a large, colored woodblock that features two Edo-era women using a dildo.

Learn more about the exhibit here.

The First Trans Man Elected Into Public Office In Japan

Tomoya Hosoda, a 25 year-old medicine graduate, is the first trans man to be elected into public office in Japan.

He has been elected as a councillor for the city of Iruma, in the region of Kanto, by winning 21 out of 22 seats.

Hosoda is not the first trans politician to be elected in Japan. In 2003, Kamikawa Aya was the trans woman who was elected as a municipal official in Tokyo. As for the global state of affairs, New Zealand was the first country to have a trans member in its parliament elected in 1999, Georgina Beyer.

Hosoda is a very accomplished man. In just 25 he has finished his studies in medical sciences at the Teikyo University, during which he also came out as trans, and he has also been active for a while in the political world. While he was studying he also worked to lower STI rates in Japan, raise visibility of trans issues and, from his position, he wishes to advocate for the rights of LGBTQ, elderly and disabled people. This is what he told Stonewall Japan, an LGBTQ support organization in Japan.

He also told Stonewall Japan:

Until recently, people have acted as if sexual and gender minorities do not exist,” he said. “We have many hurdles to overcome, but I hope to live up to everyone’s expectations.

For me, coming out is just the starting line. It is now time to build a foundation for the people who need to move forward. Some walls can not be overcome by one person. We have to work together, and help each other out.”

Hosoda also took part in the Out in Japan Campaign, an initiative to raise awareness and visibility for the lives of non-straight and trans people in Japan.

He speaks about his coming out and transition process, as well as about the election process, thanking his family and friends for their support through all of it.

My parents, friends, colleagues and old schoolmates support me. While there were so many troubles, a lot of suffering, we can move forward one step at a time.

The more we meet people, the narrow-minded way of thinking will expand.”

Hosoda says he’s received a lot of support and validation from the members of the LGBTQ community since he announced that he would run as a candidate.

Park Chan-wook’s ‘The Handmaiden’ Gets An Official Release Date, And A New Sexy But Twisted Trailer

Following a brief foray into English-language filmmaking with Stoker, South Korean director Park Chan-wook returns with The Handmaiden.

His new thriller is actually an adaptation of the Sarah Waters’ novel Fingersmith, with the action moved from Victorian-era Britain to Japanese-occupied Korea.

The story focuses on an orphan girl (Kim Tae-ri), who is hired by a con man (Assassination‘s Ha Jung-woon) to win the trust of a wealthy heiress (Right Now, Wrong Then‘s Kim Min-hee), only to end up falling for her.

The new promo is light on plot and completely devoid of dialogue (perhaps to avoid scaring off American audiences), but it’s full of sensual imagery and high-stakes intrigue.

Above all, The Handmaiden looks sexy in a kinky way, like the movie Fifty Shades of Grey wishes it could be.

If you adored the sumptuous style and twisted vibe — The Handmaiden should be worth a peek.

First Teaser Trailer For Park Chan-Wook‘s ‘The Handmaiden’ Has Been Released

The first trailer for Park Chan-wook‘s The Handmaiden has been released.

Inspired by the British novel Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, The Handmaiden takes place during the Japanese colonial period (1910-45).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR4nEO3eZvA

Amazon To Distribute New South Korean Lesbian Thriller Based On Sarah Waters ‘Fingersmith’

Inspired by the British novel Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, The Handmaiden takes place during the Japanese colonial period (1910-45).

The film is slated to be released in June in Korea, but this week it has been reported that the films director Park Chan-wook was pre-sold to 116 territories during the European Film Market (EFM). Amazon Studios will handle U.S. rights for the lesbian thriller.

The film will also be distributed in Japan (Phantom), Taiwan (Catchplay), Hong Kong/Macau (Edko), Australia/New Zealand (Dreamwest), Mongolia (Bloomsbury), Turkey (Kurmaca), Poland (Gutek Film), Czech Republic/Slovakia (Aero Films), Hungary (Mozinet), Greece/Cyprus (AMA), German-speaking territories (Koch Media), French speaking territories (The Jokers) and Latin America (Swen).

Catch The First Episode Of Ellen Page’s ‘Gaycation’ Here (Video)

The first episode of Ellen Page‘s new show Gaycation, has just been release VICELAND.

In Gaycation, Pageand her best friend Ian McDaniel travel to different areas of the world to find out what it’s like to live there as an LGBT person, and how their culture perceives them.

In this first episode, Page and McDaniel visit Japan, where Page goes to a lesbian bar.

You can watch the official premiere of Gaycation on VICELAND Wednesday, March 2nd at 10PM.

Third Japanese City Recognises Same-Sex Unions

In a decision announced this week, Mie Prefecture in the city of Iga has said it will be issuing partnership certificates to same-sex couples from April.

This makes the region the third in Japan and first outside of Tokyo to take such a step.

Municipal officers have said they hope the move will help to reduce discrimination and ensure people in relationships have their rights protected.

Last year, the mayor of the ward, Sakae Okamoto, said he planned to bring forward the certificates, but had instructed officials to investigate the best way of going forward.

In statement released, a municipal official said

We were aware of the statistics showing that 7.6% of Japan’s population identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. We concluded that if the figures are reflected here, presumably hovering around 5 to 7%, we need to do our utmost to protect the rights of such minorities.”

He added that because Shibuya and Setagaya wards in Tokyo have already taken such steps, it inspired them to follow suit.

Although these certificates are not legally binding, businesses and hospitals are being asked to honour them in the same way they would a marriage licence.

Officials have said in order for couples to be eligible, both partners have to be at least 20-years-old and reside in the city.

The will also be required to submit evidence that they are single and sign a written declaration.

Recent polls in Japan have shown that a majority of people are in favour of marriage equality.

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Will Same-Sex Marriages Be Coming To Japan? New Ruling Could Pave The Way

A ruling by Japan’s Supreme Court last month on marriage could open the door to same-sex couples being able to marry.

The ruling was made in a lawsuit filed by married opposite-sex couples objecting to the requirement under the Civil Code that they register under only one surname.

The majority of the 15-strong Supreme Court panel ruled that the Civil Code was not violating the plaintiffs’ rights.

However Sota Kimura – an associate professor at the Tokyo Metropolitan University – pointed out that it is the first time judges have ruled on Article 24, which defines marriage as a legally binding union between two people.

Some translations suggest that marriage only applies to opposite-sex couples, however the word “ryōsei” can also mean simply “two parties”.

Kimura said he thinks the Supreme Court judges were stressing the latter interpretation of the word.

He said because the judges did not explicitly limit the definition of marriage to one man and one woman, this could open the door to same-sex marriage becoming legal in Japan.

Kimura says that if a couple eventually a same-sex couple sued the state to have their marriage recognised, this latest ruling could be used as a precedent.

However the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said the Constitution would need to be revised before same-sex marriage rights could be allowed.

Japan’s views on homosexuality are a complex one. Despite artistic cultural exports that shows Japan as being a socially progressive society in regards to gender and sexual expression, the country still struggles with broad legislation that would ensure LGBT equality.

Though there are a number of openly queer politicians in Japan, openly gay people run the risk of being evicted, fired, or denied access to Japan’s health care.

Tokyo Issues Japan’s First Same-Sex Marriage Certificate To This Beautiful Couple

Holding rainbow fans and grinning from ear to ear, couple – Koyuki Higashi, 30, and Hiroko Masuhara, 37 – were photographed in Tokyo this week with a very special document clutched in their hands: a marriage certificate officially recognising their same-sex union.

According to CNN, it’s the first of its kind in Japan.

Higashi, a Japanese model and television personality turned LGBT activist and her partner of four years and fellow activist, Hiroko Matsuhara were married in Tokyo’s Shibuya ward on Thursday morning.

Shibuya’s legislators voted in March to grant marriage certificates to LGBT couples, making the ward the first in Japan to recognise same-sex unions. Setagaya, another of Tokyo’s 23 wards, voted to do the same a few months later.

The local ordinances recommend that same-sex couples be granted equal rights, including hospital visitations and apartment rentals.

Still, activists insist this is an important step forward for Japan, a country where LGBT issues remain taboo.

As CNN notes, despite “recognition and protection from some local governments, Japan still has no national laws protecting LGBT people from discrimination. Coming out can mean getting fired, evicted or denied healthcare.”

With her new wife by her side, Higashi said.

I’m so happy. When they gave us the certificate, I cried. Our friends cried.

I hope that this will be a step forward not only for Tokyo but for the whole of Japan to become a more comfortable place to live in, because there are LGBTs nationwide.”

Across Asia, LGBT rights are limited or in many cases, non-existent. In Southeast Asia, for instance, being gay is criminalized in several countries

Japan Gets It’s First Lesbian TV Drama, But Attracts Criticism For ‘Outdated’ Portrayal

Japan’s first lesbian drama will soon be on TV, but the series is being accused of being ‘out-of-date’.

Fuji Television announced that the series – Transit Girls – will tell the story of two women, aged 18 and 21, who initially clash when they become stepsisters as their parents marry, but then fall in love.

The characters will be played by Sairi Ito and Yui Sakuma.

Despite being a first for Japan, the eight-part series has been criticised for showing an “out-of-date” image of lesbian couples.

A promo shot for the series shows the two lead characters in bed naked together, looking into each other’s eyes and smiling.

Maki Muraki, the head of Nijiiro Diversity, which campaigns for workplace equality for LGBT people, said the poster is sending the wrong image.

Muraki told The Japan Times

Having two girls lying naked on a white sheet and using words like ‘forbidden’ is a little out of date, I think. The things we do are not about sex. We face a lot of difficulties in our life, for example in the workplace. To be told that the image of us is one of sex doesn’t make me happy.”

Fuji TV describes the show as “a heartwarming straightforward love story, but the main characters are both girls.”

It says it is the nation’s first ever drama dealing with the theme of “girls’ love.”

But Muraki believes Japan still lagged far behind other countries when portraying LGBT issues.

It’s new for Japan, but America has had programs dealing with these issues since around 2006. This isn’t something new. In America they have programs like ‘Modern Family,’ where it’s taken for granted that LGBT people bring up children. Rather than being sexual, it shows LGBT people in their everyday lives and that’s a positive force. If it’s just about sex, I can’t think of that as positive.”

Japan has a rich gay history, but LGBT rights get short shrift in the mainstream media. Japan’s views on homosexuality are a complex one. Despite artistic cultural exports that shows Japan as being a socially progressive society in regards to gender and sexual expression, the country still struggles with broad legislation that would ensure LGBT equality.

Politicians across Japan have made plans to look into LGBT rights in the run up to the Tokyo Olympics.

Last year, Japan’s First Lady made a surprise appearance at the parade.

Japan’s LGBT Community Launch Bid for the Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage in the Country

455 members of the LGBT community in Japan, including 142 same-sex couples, have filed an unprecedented petition to the government requesting the recognition of same-sex marriage across the country.

In the petition they argue that denying them marriage is against their human rights. It has now been submitted to the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA), argues that Japan is in violation of human rights and therefore its constitution by not permitting same-sex marriages, The Japan Times reported.

At a press conference one of the petitioners, a woman from Tokyo who is in her 40s, said:

I spent more than half of my life being unable to tell anything about my partner even to my parents and friends. I could only hope the children of current and future generations don’t have to live the kind of life I did and can be celebrated regardless of whether they like people of the opposite sex or not.”

Although gay marriage is not illegal in Japan, there is no framework in place to allow same-sex couples to wed, making it impossible under the current law.

The petition says that the Japanese government is denying LGBT people the principle of equality and individual dignity protected by their constitution.

The JFBA will now investigate the allegation and issue a warning to the government if a constitutional breach of rights is found.

The warning would not be legally binding but would have a “far reaching” impact on LGBT legislation in Japan, according Toshimasa Yamashita, a lawyer representing the JFBA. A warning would likely be referenced in all future trials relating to same-sex marriage, Mr Yamashita said.

The JFBA, which represents social justice cases, said this is the country’s first attempt to legalise same-sex marriages by appealing through human rights law.

Currently Shibuya, a ward of Tokyo, is the only part of Japan, which recognises same-sex partnerships. The district became the first to do so in March when the local assembly voted in favour of the change, granting same-sex couples to right to rent apartments together and have hospital visitations as family members.

The capital celebrated its LGBT community with the Tokyo Rainbow Pride march on 26 April, which over 12,000 people attended.

Members of the Japanese LGBT community submitted the bid following the landmark ruling by the US Supreme Court on 26 June which declared that the right to same-sex marriage is guaranteed by the American constitution, and Ireland becoming the first ever country to vote for marriage equality on 22 May.

The petition argues that LGBT people are suffering “a wide variety of disadvantages” and are not being given their constitutional “right to pursue happiness”.

Without the right to marry, same-sex couples are unable to make their partners as inheritance beneficiaries in the event that they die without a will or share health insurance benefits granted to married couples. And if one of the couple is not Japanese, they are not eligible to hold a spouse visa.

Director Park Chan-Wook Starts Filming New Adaptation of Lesbian Classic ‘Fingersmith’

Oldboy filmmaker Park Chan-wook has started making a new adaptation Fingersmith in Nagoya, Japan, last week.

Established actress Kim Min-hee (No Tears for the Dead) and newcomer Kim Tae-ri will play lovers Sue and Maud from the Sarah Waters’ Victorian-era crime novel, but director Park Chan-wook’s film will take place in “Korea and Japan in the 1930s, when Korea was under Japanese occupation.”

Fingersmith was made into a two-part BBC mini-series in 2005, starring Elaine Cassidy and Sally Hawkins.

Park’s long-term screenwriter Chung Seo-kyung (Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, Thirst), has written new screenplay.

Fingersmith is Park’s first Korean-language directorial piece in six years, since the Cannes-winning vampire film Thirst in 2009. In between he made his English-language debut, the ill-fated Stoker, in 2013.

The completed film is set for a 2016 release.

Brides Celebrate Japans First Celebrity Same-Sex Marriage

The first celebrity lesbian wedding was held in Japan, Tokoy this weekend. Former Gravure model and television personality Ayaka Ichinose (34) and actress Akane Sugimori (28) got married in a symbolic ceremony on Sunday amid growing calls for Japan to legalise gay marriage.

While their marriage will not be recognised under law, actresses – both dressed in white – tied the knot in front of some 80 relatives and friends.

Sugimori told press after the ceremony in Shinjuku ward.

We held the wedding ceremony so that it might become easier for others to do the same in the future.”

Akane Sugimori

She said they would try to register their marriage with the municipal office, but expected their application to be rejected.

Ichinose came out as a lesbian in 2009, and met Sugimori at a gay bar in Shinjuku, Tokyo in October 2012.

We hope gay people will also be able to marry in Japan, and hope our wedding can help promote this goal.’

Ayaka Ichinose

Last month, a Tokyo council voted to issue “partnership” certificates to gay couples, the first such recognition of same-sex unions in Japan. Other municipalities are now considering doing the same.

The certificate will carry only symbolic significance, since the Japanese constitution identifies marriage as a union based on mutual consent of the parties from “both sexes”.

Ichinose said she was ‘very pleased’ by the move and was considering moving to the ward, but she noted that as the certificates are effective only in Shibuya, there would not be many cases in which they would be useful.

Two other districts and one city are now considering similar measures.

Lesbian Adventure Game ‘White Robe Love Addiction’ To Launch On PS Vita

When it comes to LGBT representation, it’s a well known fact that video games do it badly. Very few games feature LGBT characters as side characters, let alone as playable ones.

Notable game series include The Sims, Dragon Age and Mass Effect which have all allowed players to have same-sex romances since they were created. But these games take breaks – and they are just three video game franchises (all published by the same company, I might add) – and so there’s very little to choose from.

More: Gay and Lesbian Characters in Video Games

But there may be at least one game to tide you over if The Sims 4 and Dragon Age: Inquisition aren’t up your street – a game called White Robe Love Addiction. Straight out of Japan, White Robe Love Addiction is actually a visual novel (these are essentially interactive stories) and so it features very little gameplay, but if you’re looking for femslash romance in the video game space, it’s one of few examples.

Set to be released on (Sony’s handheld games console) PS Vita in April, the game focuses on a group of women who are looking to become nurses. In typical trophy fashion, the women are often clad in short skirts, garters and other clothing decisions clearly made for ‘maximum titillation’. (When I said it offered queer representation, I didn’t mean it offered the best representation, but alas.)

If you can overlook the God awful character design, there might be a story here for you to latch onto. The lead is named Asuka and we play as her during time at nursing school (around three years) during which we meet Itsuki, Sakuya, and Nao. Itsuki and Sakuya are the lead queer couple, even being described as “the most perfect couple in the whole school.”

Itsuki has green hair, is the school’s lothario and her skills include “sexual harassment” which is more than a little concerning. Sakuya meanwhile, is devoted to her studies despite the fact that she was pressured into enrolling in nursing school. As for Nao, very little is known about her but it’s been confirmed that her and Asuka become fast friends.

Unfortunately, as Japanese gaming press has been very reluctant to cover the queer angle of the game, we can’t confirm whether Asuka herself will get to to have a romance with a classmate or if players will only be able to witness the relationship between Itsuki and Sakuya. Furthermore, it seems unlikely that White Robe Love Addiction will receive translation into English so you may want to brush on your Japanese before importing it.

White Robe Love Addiction will be released on April 30th, 2015 for PS Vita.

Second Tokyo District To Recognise Same-Sex Relationships

Another district in Tokyo has announced that it will recognise same-sex relationships. The Shibuya district, which hosts many international companies, and is regarded as a business hub, will start issuing marriage certificates.

Mayor Nobuto Hosaka of Setagaya, Tokyo’s most populous ward, has now said Shibuya’s efforts to recognise same-sex relationships have prompted his district to do the sam.

MORE: District In Tokyo Plans to Extend Marriage Rights of Same-Sex Couples

One official responsible for drafting the Shibuya plans said they would encourage businesses and hospitals to recognise the partnerships of gay couples, despite the certificates only holding symbolic significance.

The legal recognition of same-sex relationships is currently banned in Japan, as the country’s constitution defines marriage as “a union based on the mutual consent of parties from both sexes.”

This means the certificates would not be legally binding, but are more a symbolic gesture.

The Setagaya assembly members will vote on a measure in due course.

District In Tokyo Plans to Extend Marriage Rights of Same-Sex Couples

A district in Tokyo plans to give same-sex couples the same legal rights as married opposite-sex spouses, becoming the first local government in Japan to do so at a time when gay marriage is a hot-button issue in many countries.

Last week, the Shibuya Ward in central Tokyo unveiled a draft of the new statute, which it said would be put to a vote in the ward’s assembly next month. If the measure passes, as expected, same-sex couples could apply for “proof of partnership” certificates starting April 1, said Shigeru Saito, a general affairs official.

MORE: Japanese Zen Temple Begins to Offer Symbolic Same-Sex Marriages to LGBT Community

Mr. Saito said that while the partnerships would not be legally binding, the move was intended to raise awareness about the rights of not only lesbians and gay men but also bisexual and transgender people. Current law recognizes marriage as only between a man and a woman.

Tens of thousands of people took part in Taiwan’s gay pride march on Saturday, including groups from Asian nations that have more restrictive laws on same-sex issues.

While Japanese society is relatively tolerant of homosexuality, it has afforded few legal rights or protections to gays and lesbians. Same-sex couples have reported being barred from renting apartments together or from visiting each other in hospitals because they are not married.

Ken Hasebe, a ward assembly member who proposed the measure, said he wanted to reduce discrimination in housing, health care and other areas. He said the statute was modeled on laws in European countries like Germany, which permits domestic partnerships between gay couples.

MORE: Two Japanese Actresses Announce Engagement and Arrangements for the Country’s First Celebrity Same-Sex Marriage

He said he proposed the move after seeing surveys finding about 5 percent of Tokyo residents to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. He said there had been growing attention to these residents’ rights because of the gay marriage debate in the United States and because a few actors and lawmakers in Japan have revealed that they are gay.

“My district is Harajuku, where there are a large number of L.G.B.T. people. Shibuya is an international community, so it is only natural that we have international levels of diversity.”

Ken Hasebe

Wataru Ishizaka, a gay ward assembly member in a different part of Tokyo who has advocated for sexual minority issues, praised Shibuya’s move. He said he hoped it would eventually bolster the legal standing of gay people at the national level.

“I think we are behind the rest of the world. But this is a first step.”

Wataru Ishizaka

Two Japanese Actresses Announce Engagement and Arrangements for the Country’s First Celebrity Same-Sex Marriage

Former Gravure model and television personality Ayaka Ichinose (34) and actress Akane Sugimori (28) plan to tie the knot next year in the conservative country’s first celebrity gay marriage. The pair announced that they will hold their wedding ceremony and banquet in April next year.

While there are some famous openly gay celebrities in Japan — perhaps most notably Akihiro Miwa — Ichinose and Sugimori might be the only open LGBT couple in the entertainment industry.

Ichinose came out as a lesbian in 2009, and met Sugimori at a gay bar in Shinjuku, Tokyo in October 2012.

‘We hope gay people will also be able to marry in Japan, and hope our wedding can help promote this goal.’

Ayaka Ichinose

This news follows the announcement that Hotel Granvia in Kyoto is offering a same-sex weddings service, in cooperation with a local Buddhist temple, joining Tokyo Disneyland in accommodating gay couples who want to marry in Japan.

Japanese Zen Temple Begins to Offer Symbolic Same-Sex Marriages to LGBT Community

Same-sex marriage is not legal in Japan, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t options for LGBT couples looking to marry.

The Shunkoin Temple in Kyoto, Japan, has become the first zen Buddhist temple to offer a symbolic same-sex wedding.

Established in 1590, Shunkoin Temple follows Zen Buddhism and is an important site for a 20th-century school of thought that blends Zen and Western philosophy.

They also take a strong stand on human rights, with their website proudly declaring,

“Shunkoin Temple is against any forms of ‘Human Rights Violations’ in the world. No religion teaches how to hate others. Religion teaches how to love and respect others.”

With the temple’s priest, Takafumi Kawakami adding…

“It’s not like we have to keep tradition the way it is. We welcome every couple regardless of their faith or sexual orientation.”

Takafumi Kawakami

The temple officially began providing same-sex marriages in 2011, but given the conservative nature of Japan, the service hasn’t been widely publicised or recognised here.

Though there are a number of openly queer politicians in Japan, openly gay people run the risk of being evicted, fired, or denied access to Japan’s health care