Japan has approved a plan to roll out LGBTQ+ education resources in schools, workplaces, universities and homes across the nation for the first time.

The finer details of the plan are not yet public, but reports have suggested that schools will be given the tools to provide information to students about LGBTQ+ people, at the same time giving stronger access to social workers and counsellors for students to use at their discretion. Universities are also expected to revise their curricula to adopt teachings that offer healthcare students access to LGBTQ+ education.

The plan additionally aims to create content such as leaflets, training videos, academic research and more with the goal of creating greater awareness and understanding for the public at large when it comes to gender and sexual diversity.

Reports further state that the reasoning for the draft is that LGBTQ+ people can “experience confusion, anxiety and difficulties in daily life due to insufficient public understanding.” This LGBTQ+ education aims to assist in the social acceptance of queer individuals in Japan.

The draft plan was presented to and approved by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) earlier this month. It follows the passing of the Act on the Promotion of Public Understanding of the Diversity of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in 2023, requiring the creation of a plan.

While it has not been fully signed off by the cabinet of Prime Minister Sanae Takichi, it is expected to happen soon.

Currently, LGBTQ+ rights in Japan are still lacking, with same-sex marriage still illegal, including no recognition for same-sex marriages that took place in other countries.

The government also does not offer any official protections or laws against discrimination for queer individuals. However, some local governments and labour laws do offer a few protections in parts of the country.

Prime Minister and leader of the LDP, Sanae Takichi, has previously been criticised for her longstanding public adoration for the UK’s Margaret Thatcher, as well as her more conservative beliefs in upholding what she describes as “family-centred social harmony”. 

However, this proposed plan for LGBTQ+ education may indicate a change in Japanese societal beliefs as a whole, with some experts stating that data shows younger citizens are increasingly in favour of same-sex marriage than their older counterparts.

Just last week, roughly 36,000 signatures were submitted to Japan’s top court in support of legalising same-sex marriage, and an estimated 15,000 people marched through the rain in Tokyo’s streets as part of annual Pride celebrations.

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