Catalina Espinosa
Research expert covering society, economy, and politics for Europe and the EU
LGBTQ+ in Japan - statistics & facts
As the only G7 member that does not allow same sex marriage, Japan is lagging behind other countries in terms of equal treatment for LGBTQ+ people. Although public attitudes towards LGBTQ+ tend to be positive, little progress has been made in addressing LGBTQ+ related issues on the national level.
LGBTQ+ in Japan
LGBTQ+ is an acronym of the words lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer, with the "+" representing other sexual minorities. While surveys reveal rather positive attitudes of the public towards same-sex marriage, and adoption rights for same-sex couples, LGBTQ+ people in Japan still face challenges and unequal treatment. Japan’s legislation ranks below the OECD average when it comes to LGBT inclusiveness, mostly due to the ban on same-sex marriage and the lack of a nationwide law prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. Anti-discrimination laws and symbolic same-sex partnership systems have instead been implemented on the local level. In a society where a large gender gap and traditional gender stereotypes still prevail, this creates an environment where many choose to hide their sexual orientation and gender identity.Same-sex partnership systems
Tokyo’s Shibuya ward was the first local government to introduce a same-sex partnership system in 2015 and 209 municipalities had followed by April 2022, covering around 50 percent of the population. Starting in November 2022, Japan’s capital Tokyo will join eight other prefectures that have implemented civil partnership systems on a prefectural level. The partnership systems vary by municipality and grant registered couples certain rights. These include access to home loans and public housing, insurance coverage, and access to the partner’s medical information. Since same-sex couples are not allowed to adopt, some municipalities have additionally established family certifications systems which recognize the family status of a same-sex couple and their children. These arrangements are not legally binding and do not grant LGBT couples the same rights as legally married couples.Transgender rights
While slow progress is being made with regards to the recognition of LGBT partnerships, Japan’s approach to transgender rights has been criticized as not being in line with international human rights standards. Legal change of gender in family registers is possible, but under the Gender Identity Disorder Special Cases Act, the recognition process requires that individuals undergo sterilization surgery, are not married, and have no underage children. Despite these hurdles, there is a growing number of people having their gender identity recognized. In 2021, 729 legal gender changes were approved by family courts in Japan.
