A new survey conducted by Dentsu Inc. found that 1 in 11 people in Japan now identify as LGBT+, an increase of 1.3% from the same survey in 2015.
“More people may have started to think about their sexuality as information about LGBT people has increased in the last few years,” a Dentsu official involved with the survey theorized.
Even more starkly, 68.5% of respondents indicated that they were familiar with the acronym “LGBT”, compared with only 37.6% in 2015. Nearly 80% expressed a desire for a deeper understanding of the LGBT+ community to avoid making members feel uncomfortable. As a growing number of municipal governments have begun issuing marriage certificates to Japanese LGBT+ couples, the possibility of marriage equality (supported by 78.4% of respondents) seems closer than ever.
The survey results bode well for progress towards LGBT+ rights in Japan, as pressure builds both from within and internationally in anticipation of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Read more at The Japan Times.