“As many as 3.3% of U.S. high school students openly acknowledged themselves as transgender, with a further 2.2% stating that they were questioning their gender.”
The new ministry is expected to work on protection, empowerment and social security for women, children, marginalised communities and LGBTIQ+ people. For activists, the inclusion of “Gender and Sexual Minorities” in the ministry’s official name is symbolically important: it signals state recognition of communities that have long fought for visibility, dignity and equal rights.
The Osaka High Court has ruled that Japan’s family registration system, known as koseki, violates the constitution by allowing only “male” and “female” gender categories. The case was brought by a 50-year-old nonbinary person from Kyoto Prefecture, who wanted their registry designation changed from “eldest daughter” to a gender-neutral term such as “eldest child.”
