- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✖ Other type of partnership
- Censorship
- ✔ No censorship
- Changing Gender
- ✖ Legal, but requires surgery
- Non-binary gender recognition
- ✖ Not legally recognized
- Discrimination
- ✔ Illegal
- Employment Discrimination
- Varies by Region
- Housing Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Adoption
- Ambiguous
- Military
- ✔ Legal
- Donating Blood
- ✖ Banned (6-month deferral)
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
Public Opinion
Public opinion surveys in Japan have pointed to a varied attitude towards LGBTQ+ individuals.
Japan Surveys
Support for Same-Sex Marriage
Support for Same-Sex Marriage
LGBT Demographics
Support for Same-Sex Marriage
LGBT Demographics
History
Homosexual activity in Japan is legal.
Same-sex marriage in Japan is other type of partnership.
Since Oct 28, 2015
Censorship of LGBT Issues in Japan is no censorship.
Right to change legal gender in Japan is legal, but requires surgery.
Since Apr 1, 2022
On October 16th 2023, a Japanese transgender man won his case in court to allow him to change his legal gender without sterilization. The law was deemed unconstitutional. It remains to be seen what changes will be made to the law and when they will come in effect.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Japan is not legally recognized.
However, the city of Yokosuka recognizes the relationships of people of all genders, including "x-gender", the common term for non-binary in Japan.
LGBT discrimination in Japan is illegal.
Since 2018
Until 2018
LGBT employment discrimination in Japan is varies by region.
Companies in Japan consisting of ten or more employees are required to establish work regulations. In January 2018, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare revised the Model Rules of Employment which "stands as the example framework for work regulations", to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and "gender identification". Article 15 reads:
In addition to what are provided for from Article 12 to the preceding paragraph, employees are prohibited from any other forms of harassment at the workplace that are damaging to the work environment of other employees such as by way of speech or behaviour related to sexual orientation or gender identification.
LGBT housing discrimination in Japan is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Since 2003
In February 2018, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare created provisions addressing discrimination in housing, stating that "consideration must be taken to not deny lodging on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity."
Same-sex adoption in Japan is ambiguous.
It was reported in 2016 that many same-sex couples have been rejected by public authorities and are told “Children will never be fostered” by same-sex couples and “couples of friends are not accepted.”
There is however one documented case from 2016 of same-sex foster parents in Osaka.
Serving openly in military in Japan is legal.
Since May 3, 1947
Blood donations by MSMs in Japan is banned (6-month deferral).
Since Apr 1, 2011
Conversion therapy in Japan is not banned.
Equal age of consent in Japan is equal.
Since May 3, 1947
LGBT Rights by Perfecture
View the LGBT laws in each individual perfecture of Japan.
- Aiti
- Akita
- Aomori
- Ehime
- Gihu
- Gunma
- Hirosima
- Hukui
- Hukuoka
- Hukusima
- Hyôgo
- Ibaraki
- Isikawa
- Iwate
- Kagawa
- Kagosima
- Kanagawa
- Kumamoto
- Kôti
- Mie
- Miyagi
- Miyazaki
- Nagano
- Nagasaki
- Nara
- Niigata
- Okayama
- Okinawa
- Saga
- Saitama
- Siga
- Simane
- Sizuoka
- Tiba
- Tokusima
- Totigi
- Tottori
- Toyama
- Wakayama
- Yamagata
- Yamaguti
- Yamanasi
- Ôita
- Kyôto (Urban Perfecture)
- Ôsaka (Urban Perfecture)
- Tôkyô (Metropolis)
- Hokkaidô (Territory)