For this reason, Japan is often rated as one of the most gay friendly countries in Asia – a continent notorious for being super conservative. This is an actual thing with the Japanese – we are brought up to respect everyone, welcome foreigners, and never rise to violence. This is particularly what outsiders will experience, which I know you boys agree with. On the one hand, the Japanese are the most peaceful, caring, and hospitable people you'll ever meet. We have a very unique dichotomy in Japan. This was also the time that LGBTQ issues started to be debated and reported about, particularly related to anti-discrimination, same-sex partnerships, and recognition of the transgender community.Īya Kamikawa at Tokyo Rainbow Pride – Credit: Metro Weekly How gay friendly would you say Japan is on a local level? For example, in 2003, Aya Kamikawa became the first openly transgender politician to be elected to public office in Japan, winning a seat on the Setagaya Ward Assembly. Then in 2005, Kanako Otsuji became the first gay politician to formally come out – a beautiful moment during the 2005 Tokyo Gay Pride Festival. Around about this time I remember seeing drag queens, and openly gay celebrities/politicians in the mainstream media. Anything “gay” would be from the West like David Bowie, Freddy Mercury etc.įrom around 2000 onwards, things started to change and more people felt comfortable coming out. Growing up, it was such a heteronormative society in Japan (as I'm sure it was in much of the world back then) that we rarely saw any gay icons. Shintaro showing Seby around Osaka's gay scene Were there any famous Japanese gay icons growing up? We sat Shintaro down and he told us what gay life in Japan is like from his perspective in this interview. One of our best friends in Japan is the amiable Shintaro, a fabulous local who is at the forefront of gay travel to Japan with his excellent company, Out Asia Travel. What's the reality like for the Japanese LGBTQ community? We often hear that whilst the Japanese are very welcoming to gay foreigners, on a local level, the country is very conservative when it comes to LGBTQ rights. Everything is well received with a sweet, warm smile and a humble bow.īut as we said, that's through our superficial perspective as gay travelers visiting. Everything is so much more advanced here, so clean, so impeccable, where trains arrive/leave on time, correct to the second!Īnd the Japanese themselves? Well, they're just the icing on top – you couldn't ask for a more welcoming and respectful nation. To our foreign eyes, Japan feels like you've taken a time machine into the future. Each time we leave, we say sayonara with a strong thirst to return for more!Īs a gay couple traveling in Japan, we've always felt extremely welcome, everywhere, never receiving any judgment or raised eyebrows. We've been fortunate to visit several times. Our gay friend Shintaro from Tokyo tells us what gay life in Japan is like from his perspective in this fascinating interview.