On 9 June, Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) announced [1] they had internally approved a basic plan for implementing the goals of the 2023 LGBT Understanding Promotion Act. The act mandated creation of the plan by the Japanese government within 3 years after its passage in the Diet (Japan’s parliament), meaning the plan comes at the last possible moment, a point not lost on critics. The final version of the plan was announced by the Cabinet Office on 16 June and can be found here (Japanese, page numbers cited below will refer to those in the main body of the plan; translations are ours). The Japanese government will now begin the process of implementing it.
While we will go into more detail below, in brief, the focus of the plan is on education within the government workforce regarding LGBT people (specifically Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, or SOGI), as well as making information available for the private sector to implement their own efforts. Details of what these trainings will consist of are not yet available, nor is there a concrete timeline for their implementation.
The plan itself is to be revisited “approximately every three years” (p. 12).
Reactions to the plan inside and outside the LDP
The finalization of the plan within the LDP did not come without resistance according to multiple outlets.
Asahi reported that conservative factions within the LDP that promote “a traditional view of the family” opposed bringing up subjects surrounding LGBT people in educational settings as, according to them, it could cause “confusion” [2]. Several changes to the original plan were made during internal discussions within the LDP. One change was to the wording “understanding among citizens is not yet sufficient”, which was changed to “recognition is growing” [3].
The most notable calls for changes came from a group within the LDP that we have reported on before: the Parliamentarian Alliance to Protect All Women’s Peace of Mind and Safety and Fairness in Women’s Sports (see here and here for our earlier stories). Referring to sections of the bill calling for the provision of “accurate information”, MP Yamatani Eriko, who co-chairs the group, is quoted by Mainichi as saying “Simple-mindedly calling it ‘accurate information’ is out of step with the times, is it not?” [4] Sankei noted that the group cast doubt on the academic consensus surrounding gender identity [5]. This appears to have led to the wording being altered to “necessary information”.
We should note that It is as yet unclear what that information will be provided, or what sources it will be derived from. The plan itself calls for information to come from “academic research and other” sources (p. 2), including those from both within and outside of Japan (p. 6).
The plan came under swift attack from critics. Matsuoka Sōji noted that the plan seems to merely put together things the government is already doing while offering little in the way of anything new, including concrete ways to implement the plan on the ground [6]. Actress Nakamura Ataru, co-star of the Blue Boy Trial (our review can be read here), noted that not all LGBT people are looking for “understanding” from everyone in society to begin with, and that it is more important for people to accept others even without fully understanding them [7].
So what is in the plan?
The plan begins by noting current issues facing the recognition of diverse Sexual Orientations and Gender identities (or SOGI) in Japan. It gives an overview of what the terms mean, and moves on to note that “…sexual orientation and gender identity cannot be changed by the will of the individual” (p.2; see below for our analysis).
Among the things the plan points out is the risk of isolation and suicide people face due to bullying and harrasment, as well as the fear and stress that comes from not being unable to come out. It also notes that forced outing in its various forms can also lead to significant psychological stress (p. 2).
The majority of the plan outlines how bodies at every level of the Japanese government are to implement means to increase understanding of LGBT people. This is to be done through training and the publication of leaflets as well as the creation of consultation centers to answer specific questions on LGBT issues both inside the government workforce as well as in education and private business settings. So, while the focus is on what happens within government, there are also outlines of plans for how governmental bodies can assist the private sector in promoting understanding. Specific training is also to be made available to medical, police, and fire personnel in order to provide better services (p. 7).
There are also calls to allow employees in the government workforce to work openly regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity (p. 7), as well as to eliminate barriers that may exist to employment (p. 8).
Periodically, the government is to assess the state of understanding and attitudes among the general public, as well as promote academic research. They are also to utilize both domestic and foreign resources to further their aims (p. 6). The voices of children and young people are also to be listened to and included in governmental planning in the future (p. 7).
Educational institutions are to include information on sexual and gender diversity. Age and developmentally appropriate materials to be made available for primary and secondary education. Universities are to furnish specific information to students looking to become teachers, involved in medical fields, or to become social workers (p. 10).
There is also to be an expansion of consultations to include SOGI-based harassment, educational matters, human rights violations, and working condition issues (p. 10-11). The already-existing Illegal and Harmful Information Hotline is to now provide information on how to get defaming or derogatory posts removed from websites regarding individual’s sexual orientation and gender identity (p.11).
The most concrete legal measure is the inclusion of LGBT people in the definition of those in need of special protections for so-called safety net housing (p. 7). Safety net housing is a network of rental properties that cannot refuse renters due to age, disability, or other specific characteristics.
Unfortunately, as critics have pointed out, the focus of the plan is almost exclusively on the educational and informational aspect of things for organizations and, seemingly, the standpoint of the “majority”, and yet does not offer very much for LGBT people themselves.
Troubling language in the mix
Several passages in the plan catch the eye upon careful reading. We should note that the following is our analysis of the plan and its language, and not a reflection of any official statements.
Early in the document, it notes that the aim of the law that the plan is based on is to “realize a society where both sexual minorities and the majority can live a full life in peace.” (p. 1) This phrasing can be read as pitting “sexual minorities” against the “majority”, despite the plan itself stating that sexual orientation and gender identity are both properties of all people (p. 1; in case it needs spelling out, the “majority” here likely means cisgender, heterosexual individuals, although the plan does not define the term in any way). In addition, the plan tends to focus on negative aspects of the lives of LGBT people, most notably the pain suffered by those living in a society that does not accept them. Little attention is paid to what good can come when sexual minorities are able to fully participate in a society that does not discriminate against them outside of “living a full life in peace”.
As noted above, the plan states “…sexual orientation and gender identity cannot be changed by the will of the individual” (p. 2). The current medical consensus is that indeed both are unchangeable by either the individual or, in fact, by anyone. This includes via so-called conversion practices (aka SOGICE, or Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Change Efforts). Why the plan includes the phrase “by the individual’ is unclear. Japan, like many modern nations, is not without its history of conversion practices being employed to “cure” sexually and gender diverse individuals utilizing methods running from psychotherapy to lobotomy [8]. While some practices have come under moratorium (such as lobotomy), no specific ban on conversion practices currently exists in Japan. The plan itself, it is worth noting, makes no direct mention of SOGICE, only stating that sexual orientation “is said to be something that is not to be the target of treatment” (p. 1). It is worth noting that no similar statement is made with regards to gender identity, beyond it being unchangeable by “the will of the individual”.
Something it does say is that “…SOGI is said to potentially change during development, necessitating appropriate adjustment for physical and psychological development when promoting awareness to younger groups” (p. 5). The document cites no sources throughout, and so what this is based on is unclear. While this phrasing can be seen as factually accurate, it also seems to reflect an external observation of queerness. Another way of phrasing it would have been “one’s understanding of one’s SOGI can evolve across a lifetime”. This could have retained the idea that one’s understanding of their orientation or identity can change and evolve over time, while closing off a possible interpretation of external influences being responsible for perceived shifts in how a person identifies. External influences in this context would include those imposed forcibly in the form of SOGICE or passively via things such as so-called “rapid onset gender dysphoria” or ROGD. The scientific and clinical validity of both is generally seen to be lacking [9].
The plan does note that being able to live in accordance with one’s sexual orientation and gender identity is “an important and compelling legal interest” (p. 6). This phrasing may turn out to be important in the future should legal issues arise for LGBT people in Japan, as the government itself is admitting that living genuinely and authentically is an important aspect of people’s lives, and attempts to curtail this should not be given governmental backing.
As many critics have noted, both this plan and the 2023 law it derives from stop short of what many LGBT activists in Japan have called for for years: anti hate speech laws. In fact, the plan does not appear to mention hate speech against LGBT people outside of workplace settings or in regards to defamation or derogatory speech against individuals. Japan’s lack of anti hate speech laws on a national level means that demographic groups (such as sexual or ethnic minorities, immigrants, etc.) can still be targeted. Several municipalities, such as Kawasaki City in Kanagawa, have enacted local ordinances against hate speech, but they only represent a small part of the country. As such, it is generally only when defaming or derogatory speech targets an individual or named organization that the law can intervene. This means that, despite the goals of the new plan of spreading understanding, the more pressing issues raised by activists remain unaddressed.
To conclude, the majority of the plan’s focus appears to indeed be narrowly on “increasing understanding”, although what this will mean in practice is not immediately clear. Harms faced by the LGBT community are addressed directly to a degree, which is in itself valuable, but room likely remains for improvement in the overall messaging. While it does not deliver on what activists have called for, it does arguably appear to try to do more than merely rehash already existing directives. However, some language in the plan may prompt caution as it moves into implementation.
References
[1]「自民、LGBT計画案了承 多様性の現状巡る文言修正」Kyodo, 9 June 2026
[2]「LGBT基本計画を閣議決定 意見割れたまま3年がかり、文言変更も」朝日新聞、16 June 2026, in print 17 June 2026
[3] See 2
[4] 「「不作為を問われても…」 LGBT基本計画、策定に3年の背景」毎日新聞、16 June 2026, in print 17 June 2026
[5] 「自民、LGBT計画案了承 「理解進んでいない」は削除 「女性守る議連」要望で文言修正」産経新聞、9 June 2026
[6] 「LGBT理解増進法・基本計画に…当事者は落胆「3年待ってこれか」「あまりに不十分」」Tokyo MX News, 18 June 2026
[7]「中村中、性的少数者への理解促す風潮に「なんか嫌」「理解促進してほしいわけじゃない」理由は」日刊スポーツ、20 June 2026
[8] See 継松力「日本における同性愛転向療法についての文献的調査」『精神医学』April 2025.
[9] See “What does the scholarly research say about whether conversion therapy can alter sexual orientation without causing harm?” (Cornel University What We Know project from the Center for the Study of Inequality, 2016), Tim Fitzsimons “U.N. calls for global end to conversion therapy, says it ‘may amount to torture’” (NBC News, 14 June 2020), and O. Rose Broderick “Evidence Undermines ‘Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria’ Claims” (Scientific American, 24 August 2023).
PHOTO: Japanese Cabinet Office, by そらみみ (Soramimi), used under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
* This article was updated to include more information on the plan, revised phrasing and new sources, and an expanded conclusion shortly after initial release.
