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July 12, 2026
 

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LGBTQ

As these manga show, sexuality is only part of the story for many women who turn to lesbian sex services. Many seek healing, comfort and emotional relief, too.
CULTURE / Books
Jul 1, 2026
Manga and women’s service agencies team up to tell untold stories
Agencies and artists seek to present more nuanced depictions of their work and to challenge mainstream narratives that often emphasize scandal, eroticism or exploitation.
Alessandro Monteiro sits during the rehearsal of the play "Font Flip is Burning" ahead of its opening night in Mindelo, Cape Verde, on May 24.
WORLD / Society
Jun 29, 2026
Cape Verde, Africa’s outlier in LGBTQ+ tolerance
The archipelago is currently the most welcoming country in Africa for the LGBTQ+ community, ahead of South Africa, according to Equaldex.
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Jun 29, 2026
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
LGBTQ+ people in Japan face such limited fertility treatment options, they could ultimately be deprived of the right to safely start a family.
Haru Ono founded Nijiiro Kazoku in 2010 after forming a same-sex stepfamily. She said the impetus for founding the organization was that she couldn’t find much reliable information out there for families such as hers in Japan.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Jun 28, 2026
LGBTQ+ families are building lives Japanese lawmakers still struggle to see
Japan does not offer same-sex couples the same legal rights and benefits granted to married couples.
Yo Katami found a permanent home for Loneliness Books in Higashinakano in August 2024, but still travels for book pop-ups at fairs and events in Japan and across Asia.
CULTURE / Books
Jun 28, 2026
How a private collection of queer books became a cultural hot spot
Since establishing a permanent location in Nakano Ward in 2024, Tokyo’s queer-focused bookstore Loneliness Books has become a hub of events and activities for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies.
Gay pride flags fly alongside Seattle Sounders flags at CenturyLink Field in Seattle on June 29, 2019.
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 26, 2026
FIFA will allow rainbow flags at Egypt vs. Iran match at World Cup
Both countries’ federations have stated objections to the so-called Pride Match.
People working in human resources departments participate in a workshop in Tokyo in January. The participants played a card game in which they took on roles of people with various disabilities.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Jun 22, 2026
Japanese companies get serious about workplace DEI
Firms are stepping up their efforts on diversity, equity and inclusion in a bid to improve their management of human resources.
A new plan calls for collecting information on LGBTQ+-related initiatives, developing educational materials, and training counselors and local government officials.
JAPAN
Jun 16, 2026
Japanese government OKs basic plan to raise LGBTQ+ awareness
The plan calls for awareness-raising training programs and improved consultation systems, stating that unjust discrimination must not be tolerated.
Tokyo Freedom Toastmasters Club, part of the Toastmasters International network, allows members to hone their public speaking skills in both Japanese and English.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 13, 2026
Bilingual speech club offers freedom to be yourself
No topic is off-limits at Tokyo Freedom Toastmasters Club, where participants open up about grief, trauma and other emotional experiences.
Participants in the Tokyo Rainbow Pride march through the streets on Sunday.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 7, 2026
Tokyo Pride draws thousands to spotlight important year for LGBTQ rights
Japan remains the only Group of Seven nation that does not recognize same-sex marriage, even as public support for marriage equality has reached about 67%.
Sohei Kamiya, leader of the Sanseito party, delivers a speech during a campaign event in Tokyo in late January ahead of the February snap election.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 7, 2026
How students almost got protesting Sohei Kamiya right
I have a more than trivial disagreement with the students’ tactics and with how they comprehend freedom of inquiry.
A patient is wheeled into Saint Mary’s Hospital at the Catholic University of Korea in Seoul on Feb. 25, 2024.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 2, 2026
South Korea drops gender-neutral hospital room plan after backlash
Countries such as Japan and Canada have gender-neutral facilities, which has sparked pushback from critics who express privacy and safety concerns.
A government draft calls for raising awareness of gender and sexual diversity in schools, local communities, households and workplaces.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 2, 2026
Japan eyes multilayered approach to promote LGBTQ+ awareness
The government presented the draft program to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which approved it the same day.
Netflix limited series “Soul Mate” stars Hayato Isomura (right) and Ok Taec-yeon as two men whose friendship unfolds from a chance encounter in Berlin.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
May 21, 2026
‘Soul Mate’ reaches for pathos but remains hollow
With a globe-spanning story and plenty of melodrama, Netflix’s queer-themed limited series ultimately falters under the weight of its own ambiguity.
The Osaka High Court in the city of Osaka. While the court did not order specific action in the case of a person seeking a nonbinary gender designation in Japan's family register system, it said that the lack of legal recognition infringes on Article 14 of the Constitution.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 13, 2026
High court finds exclusion of nonbinary gender option in family register system unconstitutional
Gender identity is “directly linked to an individual’s personal existence, making it a significant legal good,” the court has said in its judgment.
Former Pistons guard Jaden Ivey looks on in the first half against the Phoenix Suns at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Jan. 15.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Mar 31, 2026
Chicago Bulls waive Ivey after anti-LGBTQ+ comments
The decision came after Jaden Ivey appeared to take aim at the NBA over its support for Pride month throughout the league.
South Africa's Caster Semenya leads the field in the women's 800-meter race during a Diamond League event in Doha in 2019.
OLYMPICS
Mar 30, 2026
Caster Semenya labels IOC stance on eligibility a disrespect to women
The IOC reinstated genetic testing to determine female sex on Thursday.
The Olympic rings are pictured during an International Olympic Committee executive board meeting at the Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Thursday.
OLYMPICS
Mar 27, 2026
Transgender athletes barred from female category events at Olympics
All athletes wanting to qualify or take part in female category events from the LA2028 Olympics onwards will have ‌to undergo ‌an SRY gene test to determine their eligibility.
Members of parliament and supporters participate in a rally organized by Marriage For All Japan in Tokyo in December.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 26, 2026
Japan top court to issue unified ruling on same-sex marriage
The Grand Bench, consisting of the Supreme Court’s 15 justices, is expected to give its ruling as early as next year.
The Olympic rings in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, last month.
OLYMPICS
Mar 18, 2026
IOC urged to drop reported gender test plans for female athletes
The IOC has long declined to apply any universal rule on transgender participation ​and in 2021 instructed international federations to ⁠come up with their own rules.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

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