Tokyo Rainbow Pride draws 10,000 attendees

Tokyo Rainbow Pride draws 10,000 attendees. LGBTQ+ community demands same-sex marriage in Japan.

Around 10,000 people gathered in Tokyo's downtown Shibuya district on Sunday, April 23 for the first Tokyo Rainbow Pride parade in four years. The event aimed to demand better rights for the LGBTQ+ community, including the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Japan, the only country in the Group of Seven that has yet to recognise it.

Attendees, including LGBTQ+ activists and allies from various countries, waved rainbow flags and shouted "happy Pride" in solidarity.

A special advisor to Japan's Prime Minister, Masako Mori, attended the parade but did not comment on same-sex marriage, instead calling for greater understanding of the LGBTQ+ community.