Japan's FIrst Openly Gay Candidate Wins Election

[Guest fountainhall]

Japan

[Guest]

For a country with such deep-rooted conservative values as Japan, this is a milestone in the development of gay rights.

 

I agree that's a milestone.

 

However Japan doesn't just do deep rooted conservative. There are also many people who are quite open to adopting diverse styles. Witness the Harajuku girls, or some of the other many other sub-cultures to be seen around Tokyo.

In Shinjuku Ni Chome, there are many different gay venues. I'm not sure where to find an equivalent on the same scale in Europe.

[Guest fountainhall]

I do think the sub-cultures evident in Tokyo, especially at Harajuku on Sundays, are a way of letting off steam - an escape-valve, if you like, and tolerated within Japanese society as a whole because they are a temporary, once-a-week phenomenon. The boys and girls who 'do their thing' by staking out their own turf and dancing to their own particular kind of music on the pavements, mostly set out from home just as they would on any other day. They then cram the loos in the department and other stores as they change into their much more individualist outfits. After a day letting their hair down, it's back to the loos, back into the more conservative dress, and then back home.

 

As z909 says, though, more and more younger Japanese are beginning to break the mould. The collapse of the concept of lifetime employment and devotion to the 'company', the 'office lady' (OL) phenomenon that has seen younger women in their 20s put off marriage and use their salaries to travel, buy designer goods and generally enjoy life, the seemingly endless recession that has dragged on for more than 20 years after a period of massive growth - all that has changed the perceptions of a lot of Japanese. The younger ones want a freer existence like young Americans and Europeans. That's partly why I think an openly gay politician finally was able to win that election.

[Guest anonone]

I love news like this. While not as familiar with Japaneses culture as others, anytime I learn of an openly gay individual breaking down barriers it brings a big smile to my face.

 

The world is changing, perhaps not as fast as possible, but un-deniable.

[Guest hayase]

Yes indeed this is a very encouraging news. However I think there are still higher mountains to climb over and it takes quite long time.

 

After this devastating earthquake, I was much impressed to find the behavior of Japanese people to overcome the tragedy. We were strongly united under the words