Japan

Japan has made some progress in recent years on issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity, but reforms remain limited and uneven, and have not addressed sex characteristics or the rights of intersex people. 

In 2023, Japan passed a law aimed at “promoting understanding” of all citizens, irrespective of their sexual orientation and gender identity, but it has been criticized for lacking nondiscrimination protections and watering down the initial proposals of civil society. The law has been seen as largely symbolic, without providing actual safeguards from discrimination. Japan has also taken steps toward piecemeal inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity in national policies, such as those on education, workplace harassment, and Women, Peace, and Security. However, without robust legal protections, people of queer experience continue to experience employment discrimination and high levels of bullying in schools, which is qualified as an “epidemic” by Human Rights Watch.

As of March 2026, Japan remains the only G7 country that has not provided full legal recognition for same-sex marriages or formal protections for same-sex partnerships, leaving same-sex couples to face various social and legal challenges. In 2023, 72 percent of surveyed voters supported the legalization of same-sex marriages, reflecting a gradual shift toward acceptance​. Judicial advances continue to shape the legal landscape. In March 2025, the High Courts of Osaka and Nagoya both ruled that the denial of marriage rights to same-sex couples was unconstitutional, citing potential violations of constitutional equality guarantees, following similar decisions by the Sapporo, Fukuoka, and Tokyo High Courts. However, in November 2025, the Tokyo High Court reached a different conclusion in a separate case, upholding the constitutionality of the same-sex marriage ban and stating that defining marriage as between a man and a woman falls within legislative discretion. These divergent rulings are expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court. Currently, around 40 percent of local governments, including Tokyo, have introduced partnership certificates for same-sex couples, granting some rights in housing, hospital visitation, and other areas. However, these certificates are not equivalent to marriage and lack the full social and legal benefits that marriage provides​.

Trans and intersex persons continue to face barriers to legal protection. In 2023, Japan’s Supreme Court ruled that the requirement for transgender individuals to undergo sterilization to legally change their gender markers is unconstitutional. This major milestone has been reinforced by lower court rulings, including in Sapporo and Tokyo, striking down medical barriers to legal gender recognition. As of writing, intersex children are not protected from nonconsensual medical interventions by law.

Queer movement organizing has a rich history in the country, with Tokyo Pride celebrating its 30th edition in 2024. However, increased LGBTIQ visibility and the enactment of inclusive reforms have been met with anti-gender opposition in the political arena. The current prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, who came into power in October 2024, is a conservative politician who opposes marriage equality and broader gender-inclusive policies.