Japan: relationship status by sexual orientation 2023

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In a survey conducted in February 2023, approximately 67 percent of heterosexual respondents reported being legally married. At the same time, 36 percent of homosexual and bisexual respondents were in a registered marriage.

 The history of LGBTQ+ in Japan 

Japan has a rich queer history. Homosexual relationships in historic Japan were for most parts of a strictly hierarchical, pederastic nature and limited to the all-male realms of monasteries and the samurai class. With the growing influence and wealth of common people in 17th century Japan, the depiction and practice of homosexuality and gender fluidity became a widely popular topic in urban culture. This changed with the arrival of Western ideology. Queerness was portrayed as either pathological or caricatural until well into the second half of the 20th century. Nowadays, Japan’s stance on LGBTQ+ rights is fairly progressive compared to other Asian regions. Due to better access to information and education on the topic, familiarity with the term LGBTQ+ and its meaning is relatively high among the Japanese population. Yet, Japan is still a far cry away from an equal society, with many LGBTQ+ individuals concerned about coming out.

 Legalization of same-sex marriage in Japan

Japan is the only G7 nation not fully recognizing same-sex marriages. However, a court ruling in March 2021 declared it unconstitutional to bar same-sex couples from getting legally married. While it will certainly take time until an apt law to allow same-sex marriage will be passed, having the perspective to gain equal legal rights to heterosexual couples is a major symbolic victory for the LGBTQ+ community in socially conservative Japan.
In past years, some municipalities started to issue partnership certificates, but their benefits are limited, not allowing individuals to inherit their partner’s assets or granting parental rights over their children. In light of the postponed Olympic Games in Tokyo, human rights organizations and LGBTQ+ activists are pushing for an Equality Act. This comes at a similar time as the ongoing gender equality discussion, which was sparked by former Tokyo Olympics President Yoshiro Mori’s sexist remark on female participation in meetings, leading to an international media outcry on the status of women in Japanese society.

Relationship status of heterosexual and LGBTQ+ individuals in Japan in 2023

Characteristic	In a registered marriage	In a non-registered marital relationship	In a relationship and living together	In a relationship	Nothing applicable
Men	65.8%	3.8%	0.2%	3.2%	27%
Women	65.7%	3.8%	0.5%	5.3%	24.6%
Neither men nor women	29.2%	0%	4.2%	16.7%	50%
Cisgender	65.8%	3.8%	0.4%	4.4%	25.7%
Transgender	28.1%	3.1%	6.3%	15.6%	46.9%
Heterosexual	66.8%	3.8%	0.5%	4.3%	24.6%
Homosexual, bisexual	36%	8.8%	0%	12.3%	43%
Asexual	16.3%	6.1%	0%	2%	75.5%
Have not determined/do not want to determine sexual orientation	54.5%	3.3%	0.3%	6.4%	35.5%
I do not understand the question of sexual orientation	72%	2.8%	0%	2.8%	22.4%

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Release date

October 2023

More information

Region

Japan

Survey time period

February 1 to 15, 2023

Number of respondents

5,339 respondents

Age group

18-69 years

Method of interview

Online survey

Supplementary notes

5,339 respondents reported their gender identity and sexual orientation.
Sample size based on the responses:
[By gender identity]
Men n=2,304
Women n=2,971
Neither men nor women n=24
Unspecified n=40
[Cis/transgender]
Cisgender n=5,267
Transgender n=32
[By sexual orientation]
Heterosexual n=4,218
Homosexual, bisexual n=114
Asexual n=49
Have not determined/do not want to determine sexual orientation n=299
I do not understand the question of sexual orientation n=603
Unspecified n=56

Missing or exceeding percentage points to 100 percent are probably due to rounding.

The source does not indicate whether the LGBTQ+ individuals stating to be married are in same-sex relationships or not. As same-sex marriage is not legally recognized in Japan as of February 2024, married LGBTQ+ individuals might either be married to a spouse of the opposite sex or might be referring to a same-sex marriage conducted outside of Japan.