Ryukyu Asahi Broadcasting Corporation’s media report said Urasoe City, Okinawa, issued “Rainbow City Urasoe Declaration” on New Year’s Day. The declaration is aimed at embracing sexual diversity in the city. On January 4th, the city hosted a ceremony in front of the city office and a rainbow flag was raised with the city flag. Yodogawa City, Osaka, issued a declaration for LGBTs and other local cities, such as Naha City in Okinawa, Takarazuka City in Hyogo, Hashimoto City in Wakayama, and Seki City in Gifu followed suit. Urasoe City is the 2nd city in Okinawa that has official support for
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　”We are now starting to make initiatives to support LGBT community and we hope everybody can live freely and embrace sexual diversity in our city.” On August 10th, Kenji Ozeki, the mayor of Seki City, officially announced “LGBT-friendly Declaration” in front of City Welfare Center. As many as 100 people attended the ceremony and released rainbow-colored balloons into the air. 　Seki City is the first municipality in Tokai Region that officially announces support for LGBT community. In 2013, Yodogawa Ward, Osaka declared the first declaration of support for LGBT community in Japan and Naha City in Okinawa, Takarazuka City in
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LAWSON store staff cleaning up the street at Tokyo Rainbow Festival The Nikkei reported LAWSON, INC., the second largest convenience store in Japan, started a new team aimed at improving its working conditions for LGBT employees. The team consists of four employees from the personnel department and is striving to achieve a better understanding of LGBTs among all the employees. The new team invited experts in LGBT issues to its first in-house seminar and approximately 50 employees working in the headquarter learned a basic knowledge of sexual diversity and the issues facing LGBTs in the workplace in Japan and in
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The mayor of Chiba City, Toshihito Kumagaya. On November 10th, it was announced that Chiba City will revise its work regulations to allow its city officials living with their same-sex partners to take marriage and nursing leaves of absence. Same-sex partners will be treated as equivalent to married couples starting in January 1st, 2017. This policy change is the first of its kind for local governments in Japan. The city officials with same-sex partners will be able to take the same leaves of absence as heterosexual couples. When they get partnered/married, they can take a 6- day partnership leave if
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On June 1st, Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture, started issuing same-sex partnership certificates that officially recognize same-sex couples. The city became the 4th municipality after Shibuya and Setagaya Ward in Tokyo, and Iga City in Mie Prefecture started issuing similar official certificates to same-sex couples. It is the first city in Hyogo Prefecture that recognizes same-sex couples and another city in Hyogo Prefecture, Mita City is now considering adopting the same partnership system. Takarazuka City now issues same-sex partnership certificates and allows any same-sex couple, who lives in the city, or is going to move to the city, to receive the
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Japan Transocean Air (JTA) announces support for LGBT community by allowing LGBT people to share their miles and inherit mileage from one another. Japan Airlines (JAL) announced to recognize same-sex partners as a family member, allowing them to share their miles this last February. JTA is an affiliated company of JAL. “We decided to take a supportive stand for LGBT community so that we can create a system that accepts and respects diversity in society. We have allowed same-sex partners to share their miles since last February, like other straight couples and families do.” JAL and JTA announced, according to
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On April 30th, the opening reception of Tokyo Rainbow Pride 2016 was held at a cafe in Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observatories. People gathered to celebrate and kick off Tokyo Rainbow Week. Tokyo Rainbow Week was held from April 30 to May 8th. Chiyo Abe, a famous commentator from Fuji Television Network, who was dressed in a GAP-sponsored T-shirt came to facilitate the reception. “LGBT- unfriendly Tokyo is so lame!” Her enthusiastic speech on LGBT measures in Tokyo left a strong impression as an ally on everyone in the reception. Shinya Yamagata, a co-representative of Tokyo Rainbow Pride, declared open
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Right: Ken Marda, Left: Masako Togawa On April 26th, the entire LGBT community in Japan grieved at the sad news that two openly out television talents passed away. One of the two is Ken Maeda, an openly gay television talent, who became very famous for his funny mimicry of Aya Matsuura, a popular Japanese idol in 2004. Ken Maeda appeared in a variety of comedy shows and released his own songs and novels. They all became smash hits. He also played an active part as an actor and a movie director. In 2005, he openly came out in his book
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2nd right man is the mayor of Iga City, Mr.Okamoto. The center person in red Ninja costume is Soichi Yamaguchi. On April 1st, Iga City in Mie Prefecture started its new partnership system called “Iga City Partnership Oath” that officially recognizes same-sex couples as equivalent to marriage and issuing same-sex partnership certificates. Last November, Shibuya Ward and Setagaya Ward in Tokyo started issuing the official certificates. Iga City followed suit and became the third municipality that recognizes same-sex partnership in Japan. A memorial event was held at the entrance of the city office to celebrate another birth of LGBT-friendly municipality.
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　On August 10th, Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance announced that the company will release fire insurance and car insurance that recognize same-sex partners as “spouse.” With certification from Financial Services Agency, the insurances will be available as personal insurance from January, 2017. 　Fire insurance allows policyholders to receive compensation when their spouse’s household belongings are damaged in a fire, however, same-sex partners are not eligible for the compensation since they are not legally treated as “spouse.” As for car insurance, same-sex partners are also excluded from benefits of “Drivers’ Discount” and “No Accident Discount” due to the current systems
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