Rakuten Inc, a famous online shopping mall and shopping-website operator with one hundred million customers, announced that it will expand the definition of “spouse” to same-sex partners at the board meeting on July 22nd. Under the new rule, same-sex partners of employees are eligible for the same benefits as married couples including condolence leave and consolation payments. Submission of documents with their signatures is required for the recognition, Rakuten Inc has more than 13,000 employees including non-Japanese employees. Rakuten Inc has worked on establishing in-house systems that promotes acceptance and understanding of people from different social backgrounds. Last June, LGBT
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On July 8th, Naha City, well known for its active role in LGBT rights movements and its declaration of support for LGBT community called “Naha Rainbow Declaration,” started issuing same-sex partnership certificates that recognize same-sex couples as equivalent to “married.” Naha City is the first city in Okinawa and the 5th local municipality in Japan that has the same-sex partnership system. Okinawa is the first local municipality that has both a same-sex partnership system and an official declaration of support for LGBT. According to the mayor of Naha City, Mikiko Shiroma, the same-sex partnership certificate is given to a couple
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Two days after the Pulse Nightclub shootings in Orlando, Florida, a memorial service for the victims was held in 2chome on the night of June 14th. The memorial service, held by Rainbow Protesters, began at the intersection located in 2chome at 8p.m. Many gay couples and people on the way home from work, holding rainbow flags and message boards that say “NO HATE,” gathered at the intersection and prayed for the victims. At first, there were about 50 people in the memorial service, but more and more people came to the ceremony and the intersection was filled with about 100
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Mr. Inamori, an assemblyman of Mie Prefecture On June 30th, Toshinao Inamori, an assemblyman in Mie Prefecture submitted a written opinion that asks for abolition of discriminatory treatments against sexual minorities and improvements of LGBT rights in Japan. Mie Prefectural Assembly passed the written opinion unanimously. Mie Prefectural Assembly is now petitioning the Japanese government for establishment of laws that would ban discriminatory treatments against LGBT people in Japan. Mie Prefecture became the 4th local municipality that officially recognizes same-sex couples this year and the written opinion is to prevent those same-sex couples from getting discriminated when they start to
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A scene of wwP2015 seminar Work With Pride (wwP), a private organization that aims at promoting better diversity management of LGBT individuals in businesses, is to introduce “Pride Equality Index” an equality index for LGBT individuals in Japan. The equality index will be the first index that supports and promotes LGBT individuals in Japan. Work With Pride is going to hear from businesses their measures and actions for “Pride Equality Index” from July 1st to September 16th and present the summary report in Work With Pride 2016 Seminar held at Dai-ichi Seimei Hall in Harumi, Tokyo on October 26th. Work
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HAKUHODO LGBT Total Research Institute released a new survey on sexual minorities, known as LGBT, living in Japan on June 1st. The survey concluded that 8 percent of the Japanese population are sexual minorities. The survey was conducted among 89,366 Japanese citizens in the age range of 20-59. In that survey, 5.9 percent of the respondents identified as LGBT and 2.1 percent identified as other categories of sexual minorities such as asexual. 8 percent of the respondents identified as sexual minorities in total. Another survey about general public’s views and behaviors was conducted among approximately 1000 people from the 89,366
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Shintaro Koizumi(right side) and Shiho Ikeuchi(left side) have participated with IGLTA booths in almost all pride event in Japan since they were appointed to “Ambassador”. Shintaro Koizumi(right side) and Shiho Ikeuchi(left side) have participated with IGLTA booths in almost all pride event in Japan since they were appointed to “Ambassador”.Shintaro Koizumi, the president of OUT JAPAN Co.,Ltd known for its LGBT inbound tourism and corporate consulting, and Shiho Ikeuchi, the general manager of Hotel Granvia Kyoto known for its LGBT-friendly wedding services for international visitors, received an award for “Ambassador” of The Year in International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association(IGLTA).
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New textbooks for high school students are revised and the word “LGBT” appears in school textbooks for the first time in Japan. The new textbooks for next year will be open to the public and be selected by the end of August. There will be more descriptions on different sexuality and family forms in all textbooks of home economics and ethics for next year. 31 textbooks of geography, history, civics, and home economics will contain descriptions of sexual minority and diverse forms of family and 4 of the 31 textbooks will contain the word “LGBT.” Home economics textbooks published by
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PROUD, a LGBT-related group that aims to achieve a better life environment for LGBT individuals in Takamatsu City in Kagawa Prefecture, announced the winners of Neutral Toilet Sign Award on December 24th. 2 designs were selected by vote among112 designs. The group will ask public entities and companies to display the signs in multipurpose toilets in Kagawa Prefecture. Restroom access issues frequently bother transgender people. (Sometimes, they meet with severe criticisms when they enter a restroom based on their sex identity.) Even though they try to use a multipurpose restroom, there are no signs for them so they say it
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Soichi Yamaguchi who is the chief of LGBT group “ELLY” was handed LGBT’s opinion to chairman of Iga City Council. On December 25th, Iga City in Mie Prefecture announced that the city is going to start issuing same-sex partnership certificates to same-sex couples who submitted required applications to its ward office from next April. Iga City has worked on eliminating discrimination against sexual minorities and held seminars and workshops with LGBT people. After Shibuya ward in Tokyo started issuing same-sex partnership certificates in November, 2015, Takarazuka City in Hyogo Prefecture also announced that the city is going to issue similar
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