Will Japan Be the Second Country in Asia to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage? That is the question members of the LGBTQ+ community have been asking themselves since a groundbreaking in Sapporo deemed that the government was violating Article 14 of the Constitution. The Sapporo District Court reached this decision despite Article 24 stating that “Marriage shall…

Haruma Miura, a famous Japanese actor was found hanging at his home in Tokyo and confirmed dead in the hospital on Saturday afternoon. The news was reported immediately, bringing surprise and saddens to those who knew him and his work. A few days after his death, his SNS’s accounts are still updated with lots of…

Japan is a country of advancement, and in many aspects, it seems to be one step ahead of everybody else. However, there is one area in which this country is lagging behind. And that area consists of issues relating to LGBT. It was not until recent years that Japan’s outlook on the LGBT community started…

When I first came to Japan, I looked at the LGBT section of my travel guide in the hope of finding some information about the LGBT community in Tokyo and recommended places to go out. To my own disappointment, my guide only had a few information and the limited section was describing a small and…

In this new era, there is a growing amount of acceptance and understanding towards same-sex relationships. Western countries, while still facing opposition from some, are generally more open-minded in this matter. In June 2015, same-sex marriage was legalized in all the 50 states of America. Japan is a pretty open-minded country in regards to certain…

I would like to give you a warning first: you are going to read something about gay romance. If you do not wish to read about anything related to that subject, you would be better off clicking on a different article. However, if you would like to learn more about this fascinating and captivating genre…

Japan is often thought of as an advanced country. Robotics, games, trains and architecture are all at the cutting edge internationally. So it may be a surprise to find out that Japan is a little behind in some other areas. However, in 2015 Japan have now awarded their first ever partnership certificate, allowing couples of…

Japan is becoming increasingly open-minded about the LGBT community and is arguably very progressive compared to other Asian countries, although gay couples still cannot legally marry. In Tokyo, there is an openly gay street, 2-Chome in Shinjuku with various gay bars. There are also parades, such as the annual Tokyo Rainbow Pride, that are easily…

There are many ways for LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender) to party, meet people, or get into the subculture of LGBT in Tokyo. Since approximately 5% of the country’s population is LGBT, that is a total of about 6 million people, more and more gay-related events are being held. For comparison: Tokyo’s 23 Ward…

If you are gay, you do not need to worry, at least if you live in Tokyo! The famous red light district Shinjuku Nichome will not disappoint you. Soon after World War II, the neighbourhood of the already famous Kabukicho started gathering bars, that focused on gay clientele. Shinjuku Nichome, that’s Area 2 of Shinjuku…