What is it like being LGBT in Japan?

The enduring strength of a “traditional” family unit made up of a mother, father, and child contribute to the anxiety many LGBT individuals experience when faced with the prospect of “coming out” – a term used to refer to an LGBT individuals self-disclosure regarding their sexual orientation or gender identity. A study conducted on Japanese attitudes towards sexual minorities found that the more intimate the relationship, the harder it is to be accepted; more than 40% of Japanese parents claimed it would be “unpleasant” if and when they found out their children were homosexual, while only 10% to 20% would react in a similar fashion towards a neighbor or coworker. Fears of “queering the Japanese home” deter individuals from disclosing their identity, which have given way to problematic views where “coming out” is seen as “selfish” or as a “Western concept”. Some families, while accepting of their children’s sexual identity as an LGBT individual at home, prefer that their child pretend not to be in public in order to maintain a sense of perceived normalcy.

In 2015, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe claimed that changing the Japanese constitution to allow same-sex marriage would need “extremely cautious consideration” as it “does not envisage marriage between people of the same sex”. Opinions on this interpretation are mixed. Some experts oppose this, stating that in theory, the current wording of Article 24 of the Japanese constitution would allow for same sex marriage, which is written as follows: “Marriage shall be based only on the mutual consent of both sexes and it shall be maintained through cooperation with the equal rights of husband and wife as a basis”. Others, such as family lawyers, interpret “both sexes” to mean a man and a woman, making marriage exclusive to heterosexual individuals.

To date, same-sex marriage in Japan has not been officially legalized. Although there are municipalities that issue same-sex partnership certificates, these do not offer legal protection. This has forced some LGBT couples to think outside of the box. One study found that some gay couples in Japan use the “ordinary” (futsu) adoption system to secure their relationship by becoming parent and child – the older partner becomes the younger partner’s parent. As a family, the couple can share the same name, have mutual assistance responsibility, and secure inheritance rights. Although there are no specific numbers on how commonplace this is, anecdotal evidence suggests that it is fairly widespread.

There is also a lack of political representation for LGBT individuals, rendering them “invisible”. Although some visibility may be achieved through cultural mediums such as manga, anime, and other television shows, a study on queer desire on T.V. argued that this does not equate to political presence. Furthermore, the quality of what is being made visible is also significant, as genres such as BL (Boys Love) and Yuri (Girls Love) play into preconceived fantasies of desire, where the characters are made to be particularly attractive or alluring for a heterosexual audience. There are also cases where LGBT individuals are pawned on reality T.V. shows for the sake of comic relief, thereby making what is visible a misrepresentation of the LGBT community.

A study found that the term “nyu-hafu” (new half), which is used colloquially to refer to transgender individuals, was popularized by the media in the early 1980’s following the success of Matsubara Rumiko, a transgender model and singer who is biologically male. Not long after, in 1998, sex-change operations were legalized, leading to a widespread discusson on transexuality and transgenderism. Although this signalled a new awareness regarding the idea of gender fluidity at the time, it remains a controversial legal matter in Japan. According to a report by Human Rights Watch, transgender individuals in Japan face discrimination based on the notion that transgenderism is a mental disorder. The legal procedure to formally change one's gender is described as regressive and harmful, due to the lengthy, expensive, and irreversible medical procedures that are required of them for legal recognition.