Fridae

While the Covid-19 required a shift to online events, this past weekend saw Tokyo's LGBTQ community return to Yoyogi Park for the Rainbow Pride celebrations.

Tokyo Rainbow Pride began in 1994. This year's edition was a three-day event that attracted around 70,000 people. This is a festival-style event, with everyone gathering in the park. There was also a march on the Sunday through the Shibuya district.

Issues highlighted during Tokyo Rainbow Pride included Marriage Equality, and access to PrEP.

What's life like for LGBTQ people in Japan?

What’s life like for LGBTQ people in Japan? Let’s take a look at some of the key equality measures.

Is homosexuality legal in Japan?

Yes. Same-sex sexual activity has never really been addressed by Japan’s penal code.

Are there anti-discrimination protections in place for LGBTQ people in Japan?

Yes. Major cities have anti-discrimination provisions that protect against discrimination on the grounds of sexuality, but there’s not a comprehensive national framework.

Is there Marriage Equality in Japan?

No. Some city-level authorities have introduced partnership certificates which extend some legal recognition to same-sex relationships.

Japan’s constitution and civil code explicitly restrict marriage to opposite sex couples.

What’s life like for LGBTQ people in Japan?

While Japan can seem ultra-modern, underpinning Japan’s culture is a socially conservative and traditional view of the world.

Generally, Japan is fairly welcoming and accepting of LGBTQ people.

In larger cities, there is a visible LGBTQ community.

What’s the history of homosexuality in Japan?

Homosexuality and same-sex relations have been documented in Japan since ancient times.

In the pre-Meiji period, relationships inside Buddhist monasteries were typically pederastic. The older partner (the nenja) would be a monk, priest or abbot, while the younger partner (the chigo) would be an acolyte – an adolescent boy. The relationship would be dissolved once the boy reached adulthood or left the monastery. Both parties were encouraged to treat the relationship seriously and conduct the affair honourably, and the nenja might be required to write a formal vow of fidelity.

During the Tokugawa period, some of the Shinto gods – especially Hachiman, Myoshin, Shinmei, and Tenjin – came to be seen as guardian deities of nanshoku (male–male love).

Same-sex sexual activity was also common among the samurai – the warrior class. Among the samurai, it was customary for a boy in the wakashū age category to undergo training in the martial arts by apprenticing to a more experienced adult man. The relationship was based on the typical nenja, who loves, and the typically younger chigo, who is loved. The man was permitted, if the boy agreed, to take the boy as his lover until he came of age. These relationships were expected to be exclusive, with both partners swearing to take no other lovers.

Miyamoto Musashi – a legendary swordsman of the samurai era – is one of the most famous practitioners of the same-sex warrior lover tradition.

As Japan progressed into the Meiji era, same-sex practices continued. However, there was a growing animosity towards these practices. The practice of nanshoku began to die out after the Russo-Japanese War. Opposition to homosexuality did not become firmly established in Japan until the 19th and 20th centuries, through the Westernisation efforts of the Empire of Japan.

Visiting Japan

Japan is a fascinating country that is surprisingly easy to visit and navigate your way around – even if you don’t speak or read Japanese.

While at first, the size and pace of Japanese cities can feel a bit overwhelmingly frenetic, if you stay calm and think things through, you’ll find that most things have helpful signage in English, an English translation option, or are relatively straightforward to understand.

The Japanese people are also generally very helpful and keen to assist if you’re not sure where you’re supposed to be going or what you’re supposed to be doing.

Japan is a surprisingly diverse country, and there’s huge range of things to immerse yourself and experience. The big cities are the obvious starting point, but you’ll still only be scratching the surface. Here’s a quick guide to assist with your planning:

Kyoto

Kyoto is the ancient capital of Japan, and it’s where you’ll find a number of must-see temples. But today, Kyoto is also a vibrant and modern city. Worth spending a few days here to explore.

Nara

Nara is an easy 30-minute train ride from Kyoto. Nara used to be the capital of Japan before Kyoto (and then it moved to Tokyo).Nara has quite a lot of temples and is famous for two main things — there’s a lot of deer roaming the park and all the temple grounds (they’re pretty tame and love being fed by tourists); and there’s also a big statue of Buddha in one of the temples. A good day trip option while you’re visiting Kyoto, but not essential if you’re pressed for time.

Osaka

You’ll probably be arriving into Osaka by train — either from the Kansai airport or by Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo or Kyoto.

• Grab some lunch on Doutonburi street — enjoy a feast of Takoyaki (the octopus balls) and Okonomiyaki (the cabbage pancake).
• Stay in a capsule hotel and enjoy the traditional bathing facilities — a seated showering area where you wash, then a couple of different hot tubs for relaxing, and a sauna for steaming.
• Hit the streets of Shinsaibashi, the night-life hub of the city. Awash with pimps, prostitutes, and late-night shopping. Lots of good bars and restaurants to choose from.

Tokyo

Tokyo is a surprisingly liveable city that is worth spending some time in to get your bearings and explore the different neighbourhoods.

Use the metro system to get around town – it’s easy to navigate and the most efficient way to travel.

10 things I learnt in Japan

I love Japan. It’s one of those countries that definitely takes you out of your comfort zone  –  the language, the signage, the culture  -  it’s one of the few places in the world where, as a visitor, it’s hard not to feel very ‘foreign’.

It’s undeniable that, at first, Japan can feel a bit overwhelming  –  I’ve spent time in Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, and Kyoto, and there’s been moments in each of those cities where I just felt that all of my senses were being simultaneously assaulted.

But there’s also been times of incredible quietness, reflection, and some amazing food.Here’s a few things that I’ve learnt during my travels.

Magazines are really big in Japan

While the magazine industry in other markets is generally contracting, as people switch to online channels to source their content, in Japan there’s still huge demand for magazines  -  often on quite niche subjects. There’s obviously a huge wealth of manga, and I love the sub-culture of bara or gay muscle bears, but there’s magazines that specialise in all sorts of weird and wonderful subjects, which is kind of inspiring to see.

They ride their bikes on the pavements

That’s where they’re supposed to ride, and the pavements are generally wide enough to accommodate both pedestrians and cyclists. Japanese cyclists tend not to be moving that fast  -  they wobble along a little uncertainly. As they come towards you it’s not always clear what line of direction they’re taking – they always seem to be about to fall off or slam into you.

The Japanese don’t like to linger over food

You go in, you eat, you leave. That’s how you eat in a Japanese restaurant  -  especially somewhere as functional as a ramen joint. Sitting around with friends and catching up while you eat isn’t really what you’re there for. You might do that in a cafe, but even that’s a bit of a stretch.

Wifi isn’t as readily available as you would imagine

Most locals have a portable wifi device that they use wherever they go . As a result, it’s unusual for cafes or restaurants to provide wifi to customers.

There’s a lot more to Japanese food than sushi and ramen

With each visit to Japan I’ve been impressed by the variety of foods, and the distinct regional and seasonal specialities that you find everywhere across the country. They take their food seriously and it shows. Pot noodles in your hotel room is also a legitimate meal choice.

Don’t drink with Russians

In London they say ‘Cheers!’ and in Japan they say ‘Kampai!’ but the Russians say ‘To the next one!’ as they slam down each shot of booze. This resulted in a messy night in Tokyo’s Shinjuku neighbourhood when my Russian colleagues decided that we should put the all-you-can-drink menu to the test. They won.

The Japanese eat more bread than I had imagined

There’s quite a lot of bakeries, and local people will often snack on all sorts of bread-related stuff. There’s one chain of restaurants called Honey Toast Cafe that serves loaves of white bread, hollowed out and filled with chunks of bread smothered in cream and honey. A very popular date option. Surprising.

Coffee in Japan is generally pretty terrible

The coffee in cafes generally tastes better iced, but you can also buy cans of hot coffee from street vending machines  –  these are better than you expect them to be. If you like Starbucks, then that kind of stuff is everywhere, but if you’re serious about your coffee then you might struggle a bit.

There’s lots of ceremonies

My favourite ceremony is the 7–5–3 ceremony. Historically, child-mortality rates in Japan were very high, so parents would give thanks when a child reached the crucial ages of three years, five years, and seven years. Today, you will still see children at these ages being dressed in elaborate traditional clothing, their proud parents taking them to the temple to give thanks for having reached an auspicious birthday.

Japanese toilets are a joy to use

Thanks to the innovation of Japanese company Toto, most toilets in Japan  –  including many public toilets  –  are fitted with a system that warms the toilet seat and delivers a bidet service. The really good ones also dry you off with an oscillating fan. Now that is one smooth-talking toilet.

Ah, Toto toilets, I will miss you most of all!