SYNOPSIS: Many people flock to the Tokyo Rainbow Pride festival, an annual event to aim for a society without prejudice and discrimination against sexual minorities, and 15,000 people take part in its parade.
 

Many people flocked to the Tokyo Rainbow Pride festival, an annual event to aim for a society without prejudice and discrimination against sexual minorities.

The event on April 21 was organized by Tokyo Rainbow Pride, a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for LGBTQ+ rights.This year, with the theme of “Don’t’ give up until society changes,” various groups and companies put up booths at Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park, calling for understanding toward diversity.

At the Nippon TV booth, Nijimo, a weather character and a symbol of diversity, interacted with visitors. In the afternoon, LGBTQ and other sexual minorities, as well as their supporters, held a parade in Tokyo’s Shibuya and Harajuku areas.

Thirty years have passed since the first such parade was held in Japan.

This year’s parade drew about 15,000 participants, more than 10 times the number three decades ago.

The growth in the size of the parade is a sign of change in Japanese society, but some participants complained that there are still many outstanding issues, such as the fact that same-sex marriage is not recognized.