East Asia
LGBTQ+ travel in Japan
LegalLegal status
Is Japan LGBTQ+ friendly?
Quietly tolerant; Tokyo's Shinjuku Ni-chome has a big scene. Local partnership certificates cover most residents; the Supreme Court is reviewing same-sex marriage.
LGBTQ+ laws
| Status | |
|---|---|
| Same-sex relationships legal | Yes |
| Same-sex marriage | No |
| Civil unions or partnerships | No |
| Legal gender change | Yes |
| Anti-discrimination law | Partial |
LGBTQ+ friendliness by place in Japan
| Place | Rating |
|---|---|
| Tokyo | 4/5 · Welcoming |
| Kyoto | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Osaka | 4/5 · Welcoming |
| Hiroshima | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Nara | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Sapporo | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Okinawa | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Hakone | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Fukuoka | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Kawaguchiko | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Niseko | 4/5 · Welcoming |
| Yokohama | 4/5 · Welcoming |
| Kanazawa | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Takayama | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Nagoya | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Nikko | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Kamakura | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Kobe | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Hakuba | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Ishigaki | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Nagasaki | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Shirakawa-go | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Miyakojima | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Hakodate | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Otaru | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Beppu | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Matsumoto | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Koyasan | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Furano | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Sendai | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Yakushima | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Kagoshima | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Naoshima | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Kumano Kodo | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Kinosaki Onsen | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
| Nozawa Onsen | 3/5 · Tolerant, but be discreet |
LGBTQ+ friendly by place
- TokyoLGBTQ+ friendly
- KyotoLGBTQ+ friendly
- OsakaLGBTQ+ friendly
- HiroshimaLGBTQ+ friendly
- NaraLGBTQ+ friendly
- SapporoLGBTQ+ friendly
- OkinawaLGBTQ+ friendly
- HakoneLGBTQ+ friendly
- FukuokaLGBTQ+ friendly
- KawaguchikoLGBTQ+ friendly
- NisekoLGBTQ+ friendly
- YokohamaLGBTQ+ friendly
- KanazawaLGBTQ+ friendly
- TakayamaLGBTQ+ friendly
- NagoyaLGBTQ+ friendly
- NikkoLGBTQ+ friendly
Sources
- ILGA World database
- US State Department travel advisory
- Immigration Services Agency: Digital Nomad status
- Visit Japan Web (Digital Agency)
- Japan Tourism Agency: tax-free shopping
- Seven Bank: overseas cards at ATMs
- Speedtest Global Index: Japan
- World Bank open data
Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.