Trans man Tomoya Hosoda (25) has been elected a councillor for the city of Iruma (Saitama Prefecture) (http://www.saitama-np.co.jp/news/2017/03/14/07.html). He placed 21st out of the 22 seats contested in the election. “It was a tight race, I still haven’t really processed it”, Hosoda said, surrounded by supporters as he received the news Monday morning. Hosoda has…
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This article was originally published in the February 2017 issue of the Connect magazine. For more information about Connect and their engaging articles written by and for the ex-pat community in Japan, please visit their website. Closeted Nick Lavin “Closeted – Adjective / klɒzɪtɪd / Keeping something secret, especially the fact of being…
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Applications are now open! It’s that time of the year when Stonewall Japan needs volunteers! If you want to get more involved in the LGBTQIA+ scene here in Japan, do some voluntary work, be part of a dynamic team, then this is the opportunity. Stonewall is growing each year, so the need for…
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This article was originally published in the February 2017 issue of the Connect magazine. For more information about Connect and their engaging articles written by and for the ex-pat community in Japan, please visit their website. LGBT Beyond Tokyo: Doing Your Best With Less Michelle Belmont Every time I read an interesting, informative…
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Thank you so much to everyone who joined us on January 14, 2017 for our first-ever Chubu New Year’s Party! The event began as a cozy dinner of 8 people at Queer+s in Nagoya, Aichi, and things got pretty spicy with kimchi nabe, appetizers, and delicious drinks! [http://queer-s.info/] Our beautiful Chu-boos and guests enjoyed…
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This November, Kumamoto City held its first-ever Rainbow Parade. I felt very fortunate that such an unexpected event happened during my tenure as an ALT and that I was able to participate in it. About 200 people came from all over the prefecture to participate – which was quite a bit over the expected turn…
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The Kansai Rainbow Festa was a delightful success and a good time was had by all! Despite the surprisingly hot October weather, we met many people across a wide area and enjoyed interacting with both locals and other members of the broader community.At the Stonewall Japan booth we offered rainbow face (or due to the…
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By Ioana and Panda The 3rd edition of the annual Kyushu Rainbow Parade/Pride in Fukuoka took place on 6 November in Reisen Park. The event was launched in 2014 by students from University of Fukuoka. Local LGBTQ activist Masahisa Miura (MarriageRings 4 LGBT) has taken over the responsibility of running the Pride since 2015, officially…
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Last weekend, a group of 10 Stonewallers met up for a weekend break in the scenic Atami, Shizuoka. For some it was the first time to come to such an event, and for others, they had particpated in many ‘queer’ events across Japan. Trepidations are understandable when you have planned to share a room…
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As a gay Caucasian man living in rural Mie, the double minority status can feel quite isolating. This is why the first ever Mie Rainbow Festa (みえレインボーフェスタ), held in Ise last month, was such a joyous day out! Stonewall Japan organised an opportunity for LGBT+ people and their allies to interact with other like-minded people. We watched…
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