Kishida Fires Secretary Who Said "I Hate Same-Sex Marriage"... Will LGBTQ+ Rights Change in Japan?

Kishida "Respect for Diversity is Government Policy"
Japanese Local Governments Also Introduce Systems Recognizing Same-Sex Couples

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida swiftly dismissed and apologized for Secretary Masayoshi Arai’s hateful remarks regarding same-sex marriage, drawing attention to the changing atmosphere surrounding minority rights.

On the 3rd, Secretary Arai made problematic statements during a meeting with reporters, saying, "I don’t even want to see same-sex marriage," and "If same-sex marriage is recognized, there will be people who abandon the country."

As the controversy grew, on the 6th, Prime Minister Kishida stated, "These remarks are outrageous and do not align with the Cabinet’s vision of realizing an inclusive society that respects diversity," and expressed his apology, saying, "As the appointing authority, I also feel responsible."

He added, "We will continue to politely explain the government’s policy of respecting diversity and realizing an inclusive society." Japanese media such as the Asahi Shimbun reported that "it is extremely rare for a prime minister’s secretary to be dismissed due to a personal blunder."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

This dismissal and apology by Prime Minister Kishida’s secretary is an example showing that hateful expressions toward sexual minorities are not socially tolerated in Japan. Like South Korea, Japan is not yet a country where same-sex marriage is legal, but movements toward legalization continue to emerge.

In 2019, three opposition parties?the Constitutional Democratic Party, the Japanese Communist Party, and the Social Democratic Party?submitted a bill to the National Diet to amend the Civil Code to explicitly allow same-sex marriage, and legislative attempts to mandate the elimination of discrimination against sexual minorities are ongoing.

According to a Sankei Shimbun report on the 7th, Prime Minister Kishida instructed Toshimitsu Motegi, Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party, to prepare for the submission of a bill to the Diet aimed at promoting understanding of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) people.

Already in 2015, the wards of Shibuya and Setagaya in Tokyo introduced systems officially recognizing same-sex couples, and other local governments are following suit by adopting similar systems.

According to a 2021 public opinion survey conducted by the Asahi Shimbun targeting Japanese citizens, 65% of respondents answered that they recognize same-sex marriage, exceeding half, while only 22% responded that they do not recognize it.

In December of last year, the Tokyo District Court ruled in a lawsuit related to same-sex marriage that the absence of a legal system for same-sex couples to become family was an "unconstitutional state." The court pointed out that the lack of a same-sex family system was "a serious threat and obstacle to personal survival."