What's it like being LGBTQ+ in Japan?

First interviewee
/ @worldofxtra
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[@takashiifromjapan]

TOKYO GUIDEBOOK takashifromjapan.com/tokyocompleteguide

[@takashiifromjapan]

And if you’re homophonic, please don’t comment here. Just leave and watch another Takashi video!

[@rishav2205]

Ayo, now that's real chad🗿

[@000blackmage000]

homo·phon·ic [hɒməˈfɒnɪk, həʊməˈfɒnɪk] ADJECTIVE Topic: MUSIC characterized by the movement of accompanying parts in the same rhythm as the melody. Often contrasted with polyphonic.

[@amy84667]

Bro do not promote lgbttttq 😅😅😅

[@shohaim]

Mr Takashi there are other more important things to cover.

[@commentarytalk1446]

I'm POLYPHONIC personally speaking !! One of my best friends I made who was Japanese is gay. He lives abroad now, but he was an excellent worker at his company, very good as a friend but he never felt the need to be "exceptional" or "outlandish" in his behaviour or "stand out" in crowds, he accepted being Japanese and creating social harmony. I feel like his attitude was a mature approach to life and living in society amongst others, perhaps that's more common in Japan? Whereas I find the Western LGBTQ+ scene is too political activist and divisive by contrast to another approach taken. There's a lot of "turmoil" and I feel like maybe a more harmonious approach is better for everyone in the end? Maybe the world could learn from Japan in this respect.

[@iMuzik3]

"Hi, Stan stans, my name is Stan. Welcome to the Worldofxtra." 😂 Love seeing the representation, Takashii! Thank you!

[@ryosato8681]

ay ay ay im your little butterfly ay ay ay

[@tralala3997]

​@@ryosato8681how are you!🤣

[@wolfgangchen7287]

Stewie is in the video too omgggg

[@moonstar8509]

Giiirl I was looking for that comment 😂😂😂

[@usedtobemyself]

"Im almost in my 40s" I nearly fell of my chair. SIR YOU COULD BE 20

[@Unan1mouz]

I wish I look that youthful when I almost reach 40! LOL

[@xdani_thethinkingneko]

I literally screamed "he's in his forties!?!" I was shocked. I thought he was around my age or younger (I'm 27) They're both so adorable too.

[@haku0103]

WHAAAAT??

[@gen8187]

Don't worry. Even from a Japanese perspective, I was amazed by his youthful appearance.

[@melodymel6771]

I was like WHAAAAATTTTTTT???!!!!

[@soju81]

"I'm almost in my 40's." I can't believe that. He looks so young.

[@mistersuremusic]

yeah, was fully expecting him to say he was in university

[@queenrose2009]

Ikr! He looks like he's in his 20s!

[@Leitefsj]

I'd say he's 18 or something.

[@lolomar]

right, he looks 18-22

[@queergoose]

Goddamn vampires

[@brauliofernandesss]

It was tough living 3 years in Japan as a gay man. The good side is you will not be beaten to de@t4, but you also have to live in the shadows. I tried socializing with LGBTQ+ people in a small city (Tsukuba, not THAT small), but it felt like we were criminals, always hiding. And the workplace is not really supportive of any kind of deviation from the norm. Add to that psychological and psychiatric help in Japan is really inefficient, and that discrimination is tolerated in private companies, like hotels, restaurants and so on. Su1c1d3s are common, almost encouraged, and I lost friends in Japan to that. It is devastating. Japan is clean, safe, beautiful, it could be a country of prosperity. Unfortunately people work to exhaustion, there are no vacations (just on paper), and being a woman, black, gay or foreigner will only make life harder.

[@ali8922]

thank you for your insight. if you don't mind me asking, when did you live in japan and where are you from or living now in comparison?

[@tojihive]

thank u for sharing ❤

[@ando1135]

theres gay community in tsukuba? i only ask because im in Ibaraki

[@KosOrSomeSayKosmo]

Very similar to my experience in Korea.

[@chrislisenby2681]

I don't understand the whole not having holidays when they are mandated by law.

[@theo7044]

You’ve gotten better at interviewing over the years Takashi! The questions are great and you look for nuanced answers. Just thought I’d say keep raising the bar!

[@majibento]

The gay bar? 😉

[@Tingletonttu]

It is a noticeable improvement!

[@maadvillain]

To be honest you should’ve interviewed more of locals that are lgbtq rather than people who are abroad or visiting it would’ve give people watching an idea of what the people that actually live there feel

[@ryokohonda4619]

The first gay is Japanese and grew up in Japan

[@epiclexi1234]

@@ryokohonda4619 yea he has a youtube channel, his brother also grew up there since age 12. Also, I believe the last two men were also born, raised, and still live in Japan. it's harder to find born and raised Japanese people who are sexual minorities because, as they mentioned, majority of them do not come out or let their sexuality be known. they most likely wouldn't be going to a pride parade if they aren't out.

[@CarolS1008]

I think he wanted to interview people from different backgrounds to see if they had experienced something different. Whether there is a different with you being a woman, a male, or Japanese or foreign. Also, maybe it´s not easy for some Japanese people to accept an interview about this topic since a lot of them are in the closet at work and with their families.

[@mihi359]

Japanese people wouldn’t want to talk about their sexuality like that because their jobs

[@maadvillain]

@@mihi359 that makes sense, that was my guest as to why there weren’t many people interviewed and I don’t blame them for not wanting to

[@jimjimgl3]

Another interesting series of interviews. I'm a gay man in the US and have been out for years and years. In NYC I developed a friendship with a Japanese man and the one thing that seemed difficult for me to understand about him was that he never told his family (except for his sister). He moved to the US to be more free and express his gay self but when he visited home or talked to them his personal life was a secret. He even married a man in NYC. My friend died suddenly on a trip back to Japan in 2016. Surprisingly his brother and mother traveled from Japan to NYC for his memorial. When his mother spoke to those gathered you could feel her reticence discussing her son's gay life but also the pain of his keeping this as a secret from her. His brother who seemed a bit conservative (businessman) also told us of his affection for his late brother. The way the spoke about my friend and their son and brother was raw and actually I had to leave the memorial service at this point because I was overcome with emotion.

[@j23305]

Wow, what an incredibly moving story. Thanks for sharing.

[@loveandfaithfulness4479]

Satan, also called the adversary or the devil, is the enemy of all righteousness and of those who seek to follow God. he and his followers try to lead us away from righteousness. he has many schemes to mislead and turn man from God. satan attempts to undermine us by confusing gender, promoting sexual relations outside of marriage, ridiculing marriage, and discouraging childbearing by married adults who would otherwise raise children in righteousness. The Bible condemns any form of sexual act that is considered “worthless” in God's eyes. homosexuality, beastiality, fornication, and adultery. They say it is all love and everything, but really there is no true love, they are just looking for lust. God made man & woman as a perfect couple to be fruitful, multiply and replenish the earth. This was given by God not freely chosen. Going against His image & His design is going against Him. We aren't here to change the word of God the word of God is here to change us, What are the actual "fruits"-the results-of the homosexual lifestyle? Can't naturally have biological kids, Diseases, Suffering, Unfulfillment, Nothingness! homosexual activity leads to a host of serious transmitted diseases (STDs) HIV, fatal transmitted Infections, and physical health problems, mental health problems, major depression, anxiety, substance abuse and greater risk of suicidal and a greatly shortened lifespan and the suffering list goes on. Why are there so many diseases? Why such young deaths? It has to do with the sexual practices. It goes against how God created bodies to work. And when you violate God’s design, there are always consequences. same-sex attraction is always an expression of the fallen nature. But if you Repent now, God forgiveness starts the process and His power continues to work in us, when we say yes to Him. But when we fail to listen to God, then problems, affliction and suffering will be the consequence of disobedience. I say this lovingly and to say truth in love is to love one another. Do not value your homosexuality Sin more than you value God. The only hope for the homosexual and all people who break God's laws is to turn to Christ. If we want to walk with Christ we must repent and reject our fleshly desires and deny ourselves. God can save you from that horrible life and community. God promises the strength for Victory over sin, including homosexuality, to all those who will believe in Jesus Christ for their salvation.

[@abdallah_O]

God sees that

[@niavellir7408]

I live in the southern US and I have never came out to my family either, ita crazy how you in NYC is so different than me in Georgia and we are the same country

[@giovannaccoral]

I'm so sorry for your loss I feel glad that he was at least able to experience his gay life in nyc for some time and love others. he had the environment and friends to be genuine even if for a time

[@matthieua.4298]

2:50 Honestly for having watched some japanese BL stuff, it really feels more like a fetish or a hyper-romanticized view of that rather than actual representation. I've never felt represented in any "LGBT" japanese media I've watched, even the stuff who took it seriously felt like representation from the 70-90s with all the shame and hiding of that period. And even so, it really works like a niche. It's never represented like a normal thing in mainstream media.

[@lekntakfs1071]

That kinda sucks, good representation is really scarce and in a really niche works.

[@salutiesse]

yh agreed, I first saw BLs about 5 yrs ago, and that's the genre, by and large I think. Thailand's stretching away from the unrealistic relationship aspect, and Korea too to a lesser degree, but I still think it's the Chinese that do it the best- certainly before censorship, and they are certainly good at portraying subtle hints of love throughout their censored adaptations- tbh they're way more realistic and soulful to me than any BL- probs because they don't belong to a genre that largely focusses on gay being your identity in its entirety (with a few exceptions), with nothing else besides this. I am glad that the genre is present though, as a good series really gets you smiling and crying!!

[@louleloup2607]

You should try to read or watch yuri (female lgbt japanese romance), it is most often written by queer women in a non-fetichistic way.

[@MegaRekless]

BL is rarely made for genuine gay representation. As you said it is mostly for a fetishizing audience, in the same way a lot of yaoi is made for straight women more than gay men. It is changing for the better though slowly. It is difficult to find good writers of queer relationships in books or erotic material. But I have had good luck with webcomics so I suggest those, same with graphic novels and comics.

[@qqqqqfd]

​@@louleloup2607what is queer?

[@jaime38amor]

So here's the thing, as some of the interviewees were saying, if you are Japanese, or came to Japan after you were born else where and raised 100% or close to 100% of the time in Japan, and particularly if you look like a Japanese person, that would make a big difference mostly in a negative way as you live in the society. As I am a Japanese person born and raised most of my life in Japan, went to Japanese schools and worked in Japanese companies as an adult, being gay was such a burden and headache as a Japanese person. Reason being I know is Japanese people around you will look and understand you as a Japanese person, which automatically has an assumption and certain unspoken expectations that you are supposed to know, act, think and behave as everyone else, having the same way of thinking and values, fitting into their (our) historical traditions and cultural background and so on. So this is their "expectations" of you and if you are a man, they ask you whether you have a "girlfriend" or are married with a women and have kids. (If you are a woman, the same thing with the opposite sex) So because I know exactly this is the way the narrow mentality works with our Japanese society, it is such a huge burden to either "come out" or "hide in the closet". Either way, you will be stressed dealing with the hard reality. If you come out, you will need to deal with some people who are homophobic or not necessarily homophobic but ignorance because of lack of understanding, knowledge or mindfulness. If you are not out then you will need to either pretend that you are one of them (straight) and/or keep avoiding at all cost not to engage in any personal conversations or getting close to them. That's how I had to live as a closeted person and it was super stressful on top of already stressful job working in a Japanese company. For that reason, I determined to move away from Japan and come to Canada when I was just about 20 years old and eventually my whole family got influenced and decided to move to Canada in 1994, which when I turned 26 that year. I happened to come out to my family just before we moved to Canada and that made my life much easier because I already had a boyfriend back then. After coming to Canada (Vancouver), my life was much better and so much weight lifted off my shoulders. Such a liberation and I was super happy to be part of LGB (back then I think there were only 3 recognized letters) community. But I was hired by a Japanese company much later in year 2005 and I had to move back to Japan (Tokyo) for my new job. I new what I signed up for, I knew I had to go back to the closet but because I knew I wasn't going to stay in Japan no more than 3 years, I made my decision to do so for the sake of my career. I was so wrong! It was so hard right from the get go. On the 1st day of my job, a younger employee asked me at the first introduction to each other, in front of other coworkers whether I was married or if not if I had a girl friend. I was so stunned about this unexpected question, I didn't know what to answer but my quick wit activated and responded, "I barely know you and why am I being asked this kind of private question?" But this guy didn't really get it and he went on asking me like this, "So by any chance you could be one of those people...?" (implying being gay) how dare he?! I knew he meant no harm but asking me in a very friendly way, (as he was younger than me so naturally he needed to still respect me as I was older than him) Then I responded, "I'm not answering to those kind of questions but I wonder the reason you asked me that question is because you could be "one of those people"??" Then he suddenly refused profusely and I said, "See, you don't like this kind of question either." So I was able to avoid going further with my smart ass response. LOL. Then another incident happened when I was working at my desk in the office one day. A senior female employee who was older than myself by quite a bit, and she was rather obnoxiously loud and nosey person in general, she had to ask me loudly in front of other employees in the office whether I had a partner or married. I really wanted to kill her but instead, I got up and walked to her desk, went to her ear whispered saying, "I can answer to your question. I do have someone in Canada." (Of course that was all lie) Then I went back to my desk and sat down. Guess what she did, as I expected, she once again, had to let everyone know in the office with her annoying loud ass voice, "So he says, he has someone in Canada, everyone!". I was actually in joy she let the whole world know that I am taken and settled. End of story! So after that incident, I didn't get anymore question or funny looks from female employees...etc. Only time other than this incident that I still had to deal with was then president of the company who actually brought me to the company in Japan, asked me in private saying, "Are you married? If not, there is someone I could introduce to so please let me know!". I'm sure by now, if you are not familiar with a Japanese company and people in Japan, this is very normal for many people that they go through in daily bases. This is absolutely so strange and rather invasive or rude stuff if these things would happen in your countries. So I had learned what to say in certain situations and how to avoid wisely...etc. But at the end of this opportunity, working in Japan, there was nothing but stress, stress not being able to who I was, not being able to have freedom nor time to be free, work overloaded, hardly had anyone to talk to, being lonely living in a giant city all alone and missing my home in Canada. Way before I was able to find out my mental state, my body showed a sign and because of so much stress over time, I got shingles one day and the doctor stopped me from going to work all together for a month. I had a mixed feeling of guilt not executing my important job suddenly yet having a break from everything and focusing on resting, my body and my soul. During that month of off work, I had a lot of thinking and had to decide whether going back again to the same O or going back to Vancouver, Canada for good. It was the latter because I knew if I picked the first choice, I would get sick again and then what? I also missed being who I was(am), I missed everything in Vancouver so I gave my resignation to the president after working with them only for exact 1 year. I didn't expect myself either that it was that short but my body and mind didn't allow me to go on so what could I do. I appreciate everything I experienced and learned while I was in Tokyo but I wouldn't want to go back to the same life style ever again. I know this is super long already but if this was a foreign employee, this wouldn't be the same. This is my point I wanted to say, if you are well recognizable foreigner, even if you were born but look just like a "Gaijin" or foreigner, they have different perspective and expectation about you. even if there's something wrong to their mind and what they see you about who and what you are, they can be more tolerant and will overlook whatever that may be because at the end of the day, "You are foreigner.". That's it!! It's simple as it is. So there are so many things you can get away just because you are foreigner although they don't necessarily like it, they will try to ignore that or avoid the confrontation with you because they don't know how to communicate with you. Period. Most Japanese people would rather avoid discussion or even small talk if they don't know how to express themselves or if they think there is a risk of being conflicted or it might become confrontational. The behaviour of avoiding is very common in Japan even between a couple!! So enough said about being a gay Japanese and being a non-Japanese gay person living in Japan. Thanks for reading thus far!

[@ImGonnaFudgeThatFish]

Thank you for the story. I understand that from the perspective of a Japanese person, a gaijin can "get away" with stuff that is much harder for a Japanese native to dodge. However, foreigners have their own set of problems that are just as bad. Sure they're more... I guess you could say "excused" for identifying as LGBTQ, but regardless if you are or aren't, it's very difficult for foreigners to establish meaningful relationships with any Japanese native outside work. They are uncomfortable with suddenly being with a person that is not tied to Japanese culture and expectations so their own brick wall of shyness makes it very very difficult for a foreigner to grow comfortable in Japan. It's like you have to act like you're high maintenance with everyone you could see as a friend.

[@rafaelcayenne]

Impressive descriptions! Thank you for telling your stories. It contributed to my viewing of the Japanese mindset. Although I still continue to love and admire with all my heart the country and its culture

[@mythandmighty]

Thanks for sharing. I had similar experiences in Taiwan in the late 1980s and decided to move to US and have been living there ever since. Living in the US, however, still have to face other type of discriminations within gay community - for not being white, not masculine or hot. Ironically after thirty something years, Taiwan has evolved into a much more progressive place for LGBT that I wish I were born thirty years later and probably don’t have to face face racism at least.

[@KittyQueenMeow]

Thank you for your detailed sharing 🙏🏼 It was illuminating in so many ways and I thoroughly appreciate it. There is a strong Japanese community in my country; the numbers alone gave rise to Japanese supermarkets, schools, temples, restaurants, retailers even bookstores. I’ve met Japanese expatriates who have lived here for 20-30 years, brought up their children to adulthood and yet, have no close non-Japanese friends. Over time, in close observations of their interactions with their Japanese compatriots here and the local citizens here, in our own communal setting and outside of it in general, I realize there is this huge cultural chasm. And no, it’s not just a language barrier. Through the discovery of Takashii’s channel, I’m further able to understand why Japanese are the way they are. I’m glad you were able to stick it out for a year in Tokyo and you are now out of Japan, living a freer and healthier life 🙏🏼

[@jaime38amor]

@@ImGonnaFudgeThatFish Oh yes, I understand exactly what you’re saying. I had a few foreign boyfriends when I was much younger and they used to complain how they can never blend in and being accepted as regular Japanese citizens even in the personal level. But there are a few group of Japanese people especially now that are super westernized or they are returned Japanese from abroad after they were raised outside Japan and they actually have both elements and they do understand completely about where foreigners who live in Japan as much as they also struggle themselves to adjust themselves back into the Japanese society.

[@focotaku]

Like they said, Japan is very safe & there’s usually no violence. In 12 years living in Tokyo (& Saitama & Kanagawa) as a gay man, I never had any problems in the streets. In contrast, I went back to Barcelona, my home town, for a few days & I some people started to shout at me & my bf, & we weren’t even holding hands. Barcelona is supposedly a very open city, but violent people and homophobes are also very vocal. I never saw that in Japan. On the other hand, I had some problems at work. Like they said, most bi & gay men are in the closet. But when they drink they use the excuse of alcohol to approach you. One senpai at work touched my groin during a work nomikai & he grab my arm, trying to force me to touch his groin. I pushed him, and everyone excused him because he was drank 😤 But it wasn’t the first time (「大丈夫、大丈夫、彼は飲むとホモるから」😳) and apparently everyone was OK with that. I would prefer that they were open & they asked me out normally, not trying to force me like that. That’s the only bad experience I’ve had in Japan, though. My bf is Japanese & we’ve been together for 13 years so there are many nice people too (we left Japan, though… We are getting married soon 🎉 Not possible in Japan yet… )

[@thepatriot47]

Congratulations 🎉 in advance

[@kentozapater8972]

weird because Spain's a pretty safe country in terms of lgbt

[@justavideodiary]

Congrats on such a long term relationship! Hope you have many years to come! 💞

[@pimp4984]

That’s good for you! I wonder how it will be in the countryside in Japan… Maybe not so accepting

[@lavendersweetgrass8409]

Congratulations 🌸

[@takashiifromjapan]

Thank you so much for watching! Only 90k to 1M subs, What should I do when I hit a million?

[@Pislik870]

Can u ask people on the street to do the thug shaker preferably oiled

[@thebigone6071]

You need to come visit us in the hood Takashii!!!

[@chaiteasheet1102]

Probably enjoy a well deserved break

[@huinbru9809]

You could "interview" yourself and tell us about your life, how you came to do interviews and how YOU view your country. For example respond to every question you have made a video about with your perspective. Or a simple AMA. What do you think?

[@ShepherdessAnne]

I have been waiting with held breath for this video, I am writing a book and this information was a critical clue to help my rough draft with its beginning realism.

[@OneRadicalDreamer]

The best LGBTQ representation in Japan is that long long man commercial series

[@samuraijosh1595]

Honestly the best man💀😭😭

[@AceWolf777]

Loong, LOOONG, MAAAAAAANN !!! *saxophone music 🎷 😂

[@CChissel]

Probably the best advertisement to exist, it’s got a compelling story, comedy, and most important of all, love regardless of sex or gender.

[@ImGonnaFudgeThatFish]

On one hand I guess you're right, on the other hand it is played for laughs

[@jamestays8416]

That commercial series made my entire family crack up. My father-in-law ordered the stuff and it tasted alright.

[@henrychew235]

Really great that you are willing to do this video and help put more awareness on LGBTQ in Japan.

[@elgatofelix8917]

The only awareness of them we need is what they do to children and the devastating impact it has on their families and future generations.

[@hithere5854]

@@elgatofelix8917would you care to provide any proof of this

[@osen3182]

​@@elgatofelix8917true

[@maysun3871]

Please interview Stan’s mom. She has such an amazing, loving, fun & hilarious relationship with her sons! She is inspirational as a mom who shows unconditional love. You can see how accepting she is of all people!

[@GFINHK]

Who is Stan? I seem to have missed something

[@fridaymorning139]

Yea same. Who is Stan? @@GFINHK

[@silliesofthemall]

@@GFINHK​​⁠​⁠stan is the japanese filipino male from the first interview

[@osen3182]

​@@silliesofthemallgg

[@arlwav]

11:04 there is no way this guy is 40+ .... skincare legend

[@ryokohonda4619]

Japan is one of the countries with people of long life spun because they live a healthy lifestyle

[@dickidsrip5262]

I though he was like 24. Very much a skincare ledgend

[@TravelingGunn]

I said the same thing

[@franko8572]

He moisturizes his face with ball butter cream daily. Very good for the skin, or so I tell my wife. 🤔

[@DiamondFlame45]

Right? Drop the skincare routine sis lol

[@justavideodiary]

Gosh, isn't it just crazy that all these lovely people have to still take into account not being killed or seriously beaten just for being themselves when they travel or move to another place? One day, I hope we all just accept each other. 💓

[@ImGonnaFudgeThatFish]

The kind words are appreciated but progress is made with action and not hoping, and the younger generation of Japan has a vastly falling interest in politics which means the change they'd be ok with happening is going to be really delayed

[@Guirko]

@@ImGonnaFudgeThatFish I understand what you're saying but we can't presume to put too much of that responsibility on others, there's only so much they can do. We shouldn't take for granted how tolerant and sympathetic the vast majority of people already are, lest we give people a reason to hate us.

[@hello-im]

If you dont cause trouble then there is no problem but once you force your ideal to someone that is a problem f u.

[@dangrth]

The problem is that you just need a single idiot to bet insulted, beaten or even killed. Like 99,99% of the people could be open-minded, but you're still at risk from the 0,01%. Like I live in a country where I think most of the people are reasonable tolerant - but a minority of intolerant people can still represent a huge problem if they can act on their intolerance. So yes, I guess that a country were a lot of people are intolerant yet where a very rigid social norm very strongly discourages violence or even showing hostility can feel safer than a more tolerant country with with a more violent social norm. Even if it is sad.

[@itsneonoir3801]

@@hello-im Exactly. I just hate it when people do this and harass gay people. Like let them live istg. Stop forcing your ideals on the community!

[@loopyfrog]

Thank you for talking to LGBTQ in Japan! And thank you to the brave Japanese for speaking openly even when it's still not easy

[@jamesk8s1]

I actually have a colleague who was born and raised in Russia, she is older than I, and she told me totally serious and straight faced "We don't have any gays in Russia"....and when I said "there are gay people in every country", her tone became irritated and she said more emphatically "NO! we have no gays in Russia". How did I end up on this planet of the apes! Just unbelievably small tiny un-evolved minds. great video, thank you! 🙆🏻‍♀

[@osen3182]

😂😂😂 she was right if you are gay keep it for yourself

[@sheershchaturvedi4534]

You are documenting history through these interviews in general. Keep up the great work!!!

[@AmericanTK_LIVE]

Thank you for giving visibility. I follow many people in Japan who create content and you're the first person I've seen give exposure. I love Japan and can't wait for trip #2 in July/August. Appreciate your spotlights on Japanese culture.

[@lovely-ss4li]

I love your interviews, please keep doing them!

[@sakamotoph]

I appreciate very much that Takashi is also offering his perspective as a Japanese person, albeit very open-minded, sort of inside looking out. Maybe it is only for topics like this, but more than these being interviews, they become conversations.

[@JimmyMidnite]

Very interesting perspectives, with the lady from Turkey for whom Japan is a liberal paradise to others who’ve been in the States or Canada and Japan seems a bit more conservative, and several who grew up in Japan and whose experience is…middle of the road. I did notice - at least from the responses - that LGBQT foreigners seemed to have an easier time of it because they could play the gaijin card. But I really liked the recurring theme that Nihon-jin wouldn’t be confrontational or violent no matter their personal beliefs.

[@Moss187]

I haven’t been to japan yet but turkey is a really conservative country and freedom of speech doesn’t really exist here as speaking up can be dangerous, there is this in-joke "silivri is cold" which derives from the fact that if you do/say something our president doesn’t like or speak badly about him you can be sent to the silivri prison. You can’t be jailed for being queer but it’s not really safe either, unfortunately there are people who will act on their hatred. Also fun fact, the iconic "police tries stopping pride parade using water cannons, ends up creating a rainbow" came from turkey

[@ajdoshka]

@@Moss187Creating a rainbow is nothing bad as it is a natural phenomenon which unfortunately is misused by people as symbol for their sexual orientation

[@Moss1403]

⁠​⁠​⁠@@ajdoshkado you think they used the water cannons to create a rainbow? It was just an ironic thing that happened and wdym misuse? They are just colors mate get over it

[@chuuya9694]

even if you don't agree lgbtq we should treat each other with respect

[@who.jurlyshe3932]

Tysm

[@burakkusdil1159]

I have no respect for these ill people

[@RomaPro-v6e]

yep

[@buttermilkbob2370]

Respect is always good but you can't go around promoting this disease. Just look at the Americans, they don't even know if they're either he or a she.

[@ducanhdinh8823]

Yes.

[@jornalistarenatarosa4205]

That's why sexual education is so important! It prevents violence and bullying toward LGBT kids and teenagers.

[@feylights166]

Thank you for this video. This is a topic that has interested me for years, and I've studied it a bit. I read a lot of BL, but I wanted to learn more about LGBTQ issues in Japan (both historically and current). Pre-Meiji, Japan was more accepting of homosexuality, but then there was a shift. As the interviewees said, there are not a lot of hate crimes against sexual minorities, but there is "quiet" discrimination, like in the work place, or school bullying. Many Japanese don't realize how many sexual minorities are around them. They see them on TV and in movies (BL is popular), but they don't necessarily realize they could know people who are a sexual minority, because many don't come out.

[@vercoda9997]

There's also the same (global) issue of just seeing the same 'type' of gay people, either in the media, or as characters in shows, which reinforces expectations of what LGBT+ are, and are 'supposed' to look and act like. I'm sure that's the same in Japan, too - it's also a self-enforced thing by many LGBT+ people and businesses, where LGBT+ people who don't fit in to the usual definitions - or who may seem to be Very Straight, regardless of their sexuality - can also be excluded. I probably look like a geography teacher, or maybe a college lecturer - the gay guys here seem very different to me, not because they're Japanese, but more that they're confirming more to international standards of LGBT+ appearance etc. An interesting issue.

[@gingerbakos347]

I know it's been months since you posted this, but just wanted to say that I appreciate you taking the time to cover it and with the same care and kindness that you do all of your interviews.

[@ropesanddragoneggs8494]

As a queer woman, as long as there are no backwards laws targeting people like me, I still want to visit. I live in the US and there are laws that are being passed in a number of states targeting women and the LGBTQ+ community. Our government is going backwards. I hope it doesn't happen in Japan...

[@dionabeck3317]

I will say this, i lived in Japan for two years. Now there are no laws against The LGBTQ+, and they are really chill with the LGBTQ+ there, as in more accepting and not being harassed. However, their society is still traditional in the ways of gender norms and diversity. You would be more judged on you being foreign than you being LGBTQ+. But there, i will say that Japan is super great with letting you express yourself easily, which is a plus.

[@theviewer6889]

@@dionabeck3317 That isn't 100% true. LGBT people don't have anti discrimination protections in housing or the workplace, and trans people are required to undergo sterilisation, have had full srs surgery done, and not have any children who are under 20 in order to change their gender marker on legal doccuments (which is real messed up). If you're just travelling for a visit then those laws obviously won't affect you, but "there are no laws against LGBTQ+" isn't true.

[@dionabeck3317]

@@Netsirk96 aaaahh, now that i didn't know, but it does make sense, since they still have the gender traditions still strong. However, i believe that Japan is starting to change and grow.

[@ropesanddragoneggs8494]

@@Netsirk96 I mean, you COULD play the system lol I am not trans, nor am I under 20 or want kids, but I understand that being trans is hard enough. I can't imagine how frustrating those hoops must be if you want those things.

[@Foxy-gw3np]

Hi Eggs They are not backwards in Japan, just a more disciplined type of people. You should have no problems over there unless you, not you in the real sense, go looking for something that may or may not be there. Hope that helps with your query.

[@Playlistsforall]

man you are a hero to the whole community. alot of content creators like you wouldnt try to go near this kind of topic but you did. hats off to you

[@Aminabanana]

I’ve never been so early on one of your videos - interesting and enlightening as always! Much love from Canada & Ganbatte Takashi-san! ☀️

[@SioLazer]

That was great! I'm in the US and sex education is a pretty hot button issue. The students you interviewed and those who reflected on their school experiences made me wonder what sex education is like in Japan.

[@chaikagaz]

My grand mother was raped in japan, wat do you think sex education is?

[@Sunnydale1909]

@@chaikagaz I’m sorry that happened to your grand mother, but like what the fuck? That doesn’t make any sense to state that and then ask, “wat do you think sex education is?”

[@purpleey]

​@@Sunnydale1909😂😂 bro was outta pocket with that

[@USSAnimeNCC-]

Sex ed should teach you how the body work on both sides as learn about the opposite sea can help you understand that other better and be helpful if you later on have kids or with your partner but also how to treat the opposite sex since in the west we had living trash like Andrew Tate and the manosphere that teach horrible view of women and men that are toxic and dangerous their a KZbinr called Shaun who made a video criticizing Andre Tate but he also give good advice to men on that video maybe we should do something like that too to both sex’s so neither side go out in the real having horrible view of each other when they go into the real world and do harm or each other

[@rasesvari]

​@@Sunnydale1909they put such comments about literally every asian country

[@shiningskies47]

I think Japan definitely benefits from not practicing Abrahamic religions

[@leahflower9924]

You are so right and they kicked out Christian missionaries back in the day

[@valeria-militiamessalina5672]

Yes, Buddhism is more tolerant when it comes to that, the doctrine of "sin" does not hold much or as much value, the focus is elsewhere.

[@musiqal333]

That's exactly what I was thinking. If the culture was deep into abrahamic faiths, the taboo against homosexuality would be more overt and fierce.

[@kaym7704]

So true, having to deal with people who “choose” to be religious is such a pain.

[@DoNotForget45180]

What is that?

[@funeralparties]

Thank you so much for this video. Would love to hear from Japanese trans individuals especially if you get around to doing another one of these Q&As!

[@tokyo-wt7fq]

Don't forget that Oda-Nobunaga and many other Sengoku Warlord were bisexual, it became taboo after Christianity came to Japan.

[@KitArch]

Basically, like Greeks I think!

[@月明-i4y]

You mean pederasty. Also christianity was weak in sengoku/edo Japan, especially after the inquisition by Tokugawa Iemitsu. No need to blame christianity.

[@erenjinchuriki]

People really do love to blame Christianity. You do know that they were a persecuted group in feudal Japan and never became a majority even into the Meiji period.

[@ajdoshka]

@@月明-i4ythey will always blame christianity and islam for their own wrongdoings if shinzo abe was assassinated in the west people would blame it on a muslim

[@ChrisDragon531]

I went to Tokyo Pride in 2016, but when I told people there that I was Asexual, they mostly seemed confused haha. I told two of my friends (one was a Japanese Bisexual, the other was a gay guy from a Malaysia) they were confused at first. So, then I explained to them: "Asexuality is the lack of sexual attraction to others, or low or absent interest in or desire for sexual activity." My one friend responded with "Those type of people exist?" "Yes, people who don't feel sexual attraction exist, it's about 1% of the world population." My other friend was like "So you're not Bi or gay?" I explained to that friend that there are different types of attraction and they don't all have to happen at the same time. (Romantic, Aesthetic, Emotional, Platonic, Physical, Sexual). He still seemed confused, then again, it was alot of info that he didn't know before.

[@sebastienh1100]

You feel what you feel, but I think it is a mistake to take that as an « identity » and worse, to impose it on others. In the past people said they did not like sex. They did not need to label themselves « asexual » as a kind of egoistic comfort.

[@KitArch]

@@sebastienh1100 people can label themselves as they want. If they want to be called asexual then you call them like that. You do not choose others pronoums or label. But you can choose yours, and we will respect them.

[@sebastienh1100]

@@KitArch - you perfectly define the problem with our times: pure individualism. My rule instead of rule of society and community of all people. I decide what I am, without any reference to tradition, history, or people around me, and I force this on others. Please think carefully again about what you wrote and how wrong it is 😉

[@xXWorldgamefunXx]

@@sebastienh1100 he didn't force anything on you and asexual is just a useful term to quickly describe how some people are not interested in having sex with other people. We use words to convey meaning, it makes it easier to communicate. But why make it an identity? I can tell you why, despite not even being asexual myself: Many people view sex as essential to the human experience and judge people with no interest in sex. It makes it really weird and uncomfortable for people who are asexual. Giving it a label - an identity - increases it's validity and visibility. We can now talk about this as something that a *group* experiences. Something that is not uncommon and shared by *many people*. It's the opposite of individualizing in my opinion. Imagine someone told you he had no interest in having sex, instead of just saying "I'm asexual". This would lead to 10 different questions begging to explain the reason behind this (e.g. sexual abuse, insecurity etc.). But if you just say you are asexual, and if we know this term already, then it's quickly communicated that there is no external reason for not enjoying sex. It's just something you were born with.

[@sebastienh1100]

@@xXWorldgamefunXx - the lengthy and professoral messages (both his and yours) show that you really try to force your own individual self view on EVERYBODY. And that is precisely the issue. Good evening 😀

[@YAMAIHIME]

Wow! Thanks for informing me about Shinjuku Ni-chōme! I have always wanted to visit Japan, especially Tokyo, and Osaka. But now as an Lgbtq+ person, I have even more reason to travel there to experience, Ni-Chome and hopefully make some good like-minded friends there! Whenever I finally visit Japan, this will be within my priority places to visit list.

[@crazyfool1]

thank you so much for this video, I would love to hear from more natives about the LGBTQ+ culture there, it is honestly one of my biggest fears about travelling. I am relieved to hear that the risk of hate crimes is low. I am subbing, I appreciate this question as a lot of people are too afraid to ask it, so it's very bold of you and thoughtful.

[@socksnotemo7980]

this is a great video!! i would love to see one about transgender folks!

[@ImGonnaFudgeThatFish]

Might be difficult for takashii to find one to interview.

[@anygays_im_fujoshi]

9:27 I completely agree with that. Course books needs to include the LGBTQIA+ community and that love is possible for any person irrespective of Gender and sexuality. Also include famous stories n poems related to them in the English literature classess too. It'll be atleast a basic step for the kids to know that it's indeed a natural phenomenon and not weird at all. ❤️

[@gwenmloveskpopandmore]

There are books although sadly here in the U.S many governments had schools ban them because here in most U.S states being in the LGBTQ+ is considered a bad thing and ofc many states have banned the CRT (Critical Racial Theory) on what can be taught on Race, Sex, etc. so for Asian culture they can only go as far as the Vietnam & Korean War for example. It’s so sad what white racist states and their governors are doing

[@briantalbot7929]

Okay groomer

[@Shibux]

@@briantalbot7929 okay boomer

[@Robi-vw2hx]

So you support pedophilia?

[@wren6323]

@@Robi-vw2hx This comment was talking about LGBTQ+ people, not pedophiles.

[@Jobe-13]

Dude their outfits look so cool.

[@徳重久遠]

Nichome has been there almost 40-50 years already… I see it in more different point. Through out traveling outside of Japan I found no other country has the specific district for gay and LGBTQ people. It is true it has been oasis for LGBTQ people for many years on the flip side it implies how society avoid accepting those people and as a result they have to squeezed into small district in Shinjuku. This is very specific to Japan imo.

[@vasnirodriguez6833]

What a great topic! Glad your channel is expanding because your a great interviewer!

[@anthonyono4950]

Professional reporting and journalism. Really good work

[@Charlie-o3t]

As someone who is trans and bi in America, this honestly sounds a lot better. I know some may disagree but when I go to a mall, people will always say something, or at school I get asked a lot if I’m a boy or a girl. Im considering moving to Japan for many reasons, and this definitely helps with any worries I had!!

[@isisathena5237]

It strange that Japanese people say that being gay is a foreign thing when there is recorded history of lgbtq+ people in the past. Linfamy’s channel has a few videos with examples. There are lots of books, and papers, even drawings with examples.

[@zaynes5094]

@breadandcircuses8127I disagree. I think they wouldn't have taken it as seriously as legalizing same-sex marriage if they didn't view it a certain way. There were many gay couples who cried and laughed and hugged and reacted to it live. I remember it like it was yesterday when my good friend from school (who is actually asexual lesbian, which confuses people sometimes even more than when she reveals she's Kazakh on her dad's side), texted me and said that they just announced officially that same-sex couples were seen as legally marriable and that it is illegal to not let them get married. It is a basic, fundamental right for all people to be able to get married. It's a big day in history for LGB+ people.

[@AWhite-wo9pz]

Thank you for making this video, Takashi. I hope you could make another one with more "full Japanese" interviewees who grew up in Japan. As a mixed-raced person who grew up in a foreign country for most of my life, I noticed that the societal observations and social experiences I've been exposed to have vastly differed from "non-mixed-raced" individuals who have had little to no foreign life experiences.

[@fushigidane888]

thank you for doing these interviews! I enjoyed watching the video : )

[@felixpainchaud7637]

I'd love to learn more about trans people in Japan! I'm a trans-woman and I'd love to teach english there but I'm scared that my identity will make it impossible. Would it be possible to make a video about that community? Awesome stuff as always! I love your videos :D

[@FunnyParadox]

If you pass it will generally not cause any problems (because they don't really know what a trans person is, you will probably be their first first-hand experience speaking to a trans women and if you are nice they'll most likely be nice too)

[@taka3664]

Repent to Jesus Christ, there is still time for you to be saved.

[@AngryGeekling]

@@taka3664 no one needs to be saved

[@wren6323]

@@taka3664 If repenting to Christ means this person becoming a man, they're not going to do that. Living in heaven as a man would be a worse fate than going to hell a women.

[@alvinsmith3894]

You will never be the qtgf. Real QTGFS are only for other REAL QTGFS.

[@Hezzadude12]

Interesting video Takashii-san. I noticed when I travelled to Japan last year that same sex couples were quite rare, except for specific areas. I personally saw it a bit in Kichijoji, Koenji and Harajuku, but I don’t know if I saw it really anywhere else. Quite different from Australia where you do see it fairly regularly (at least in my capital city, Brisbane).

[@gyahahaandkyahaha1345]

Less Birth control pills in the water, and less soy baby formula

[@zaynes5094]

@Hezzadude12 My mom and I, both are straight (me a guy her female), and we live in a smaller town in New York but we used to do this thing in restaurants where we'd take a bet that was just fun little games we played with my uncle who was gay, and we'd take a bet on who we thought was gay and that would determine if our "gaydar" was legit or false. I'm actually not bad at identifying gay girls but iffy with bisexual girls. Gay guys I can't really identify and I was never good with identifying bisexual guys. My uncle who is gay was always good at identifying gay guys but really good with women. I think in Japan you'd be able to tell who's attracted to another guy or girl when they're a bit altered or with alcohol in their system.

[@cypherkit8068]

Thank you so much takashi for this wonderful video! You asked some really insightful questions!

[@JJJ-bx4ky]

Shinjuku 2-chome in Japan is the world's largest gay town.

[@takashiifromjapan]

I gotta check it out, never been there yet

[@thepatriot47]

​@@takashiifromjapan 🤨

[@TheZakana]

Really! I definitely need to check it out then!

[@taylordisthemusicindustry]

​@@takashiifromjapanhelp 😭😭😭

[@ravendizon801]

Wow love to visit soon

[@lizinacan151]

I am pansexual and nonbinary, and I am worried about coming to Japan, but I am glad I will at least not get things thrown at me like I do here in the states. I would rather people ignore me than people attack me. But I am glad there are so many wonderful open minded people in Japan. It makes me feel better about my future visit.

[@amandachaves9527]

Sometimes breaking down cultural barriers is as easy as just going outside, being nice to people and asking questions. I like what you're doing. Thank you !!

[@749fghvbn]

Thank you for this video, I hope LGBT people will be loved and accepted as they are. I think people will be more accpting and open minding in the future thanks to more visibility.

[@MegaElijah21]

Don't wanna speak out turn since I am straight and not Japanese, but I feel like a lot of the time BL can be less a depiction and more so... I wanna say fetishization but I don't think that necessarily accurate either, but it's less about genuinely showing gay couples as they exist in a homophobic world, and they are more so about playing off the taboo-ness of the concept. It's not written to make people more accepting is my point. (This doesn't apply to every BL series of course.)

[@NoMustang273]

That is a common criticism I've seen for BL content, particularly when it's made to appeal to women. It's a little similar to how men fetishise lesbian relationships.

[@CharnelWhispers]

As a gay man, I highly agree with your comment. This is also the reason why I gave up reading BL mangas (Yaoi) because for some weird reason, a lot of their creators think that s3x without consent is exciting and appealing (goosebumps) 😭 It doesn’t help that most of the time, the plots are shallow and all over the place. With that said, I’m noticing a lot of improvements from new mangakas though which is a very welcome and timely change.

[@PalitoSelvatico]

There is no correct way to portray lbgt romance, there will always be someone who thinks it's not done correctly. Too sexy, too puritan, too boring, too complex, unrealistic, too explicit, you can never please everybody. What you consider inaccurate might feel important for someone else. I'm glad they have representation in fiction even if I personally don't like most of it.

[@ImGonnaFudgeThatFish]

​@Palito de la Selva it's representation and for a lot of people that's what matters. However megaelijah just wants a lot more realistic representation, and the reason why that's difficult in Japan is because realistic LGBTQ representation content would just be really depressing and anxiety inducing

[@MegaElijah21]

@@PalitoSelvatico It's not about being "correct" but there's a difference between an earnest attempt at depicting the struggles that come with being a sexual minority in a homophobic society, and merely playing off the taboo-ness to create an enticing storyline that appeals to the people within that homophobic society. One is at least trying to make note of the struggle and discrimination that comes with being LGBTQ, while the other is trying to appeal to those who simply fetishize the concept without understanding the broader oppression that comes with it. The purpose behind the depiction is always relevant and is almost always clear to see

[@もん-l8p]

As Japanese who was born and raised in japan, When they mentioned the LGBTQ series or manga in japan, I feel like majority of Japanese ppl ( who know about BL or LGBTQ drama) might think it’s fiction or it’s so far from their daily life. I know it’s still fiction and sometimes it’s sooo comedic and there is no realistic. But some ppl might think it never happens in the world or their dairy life. Bcs our situation for LGBTQ hasn’t improved and most of sexual maturity still hesitate to come out, our education is still bad probably some ppl doesn’t know that sexuality minorities do fall in love and spend their time with partner as like heterosexuality. As personally, I love BL and I grew up with BL manga and anime, but sometimes I feel these things make situation or impression of LGBTQ worser. I know it’s still good thing that ppl can know about LGBTQ thought series but it’s still kinda difficult situation. 英語で書いてたらわかんなくなっちゃったけど、環境が整ってない中でたくさんの人の目につくテレビとかでBL映画とかが流行ったこともあって、しかも流行ってるのはヘテロをテーマにしたらあるようなリアリティがあるもの(学生恋愛とか社会人の恋愛)じゃなくて、ちょっと変わった実際では起こらないシチュエーションだったりコメディ要素が強いもので。周りに同性愛者がいなかったり、知識がないうちにそう言うものを見てると、その人たちからするとそれはただのフィクションで現実味のないものでしかないんじゃないかな〜とも思っちゃう🤔それかただ楽しむだけの"コンテンツ"になりそうで。そう言う人たちが世界にはいるんだよ！っていうのとこを知ることができる第一歩としてはすごくいいことだけど、理解を深めるってなると少し勘違い？が起きそうだな〜と最近思う、、、

[@wolfgangchen7287]

I agree totally! In truth most of the gay people I know are against BL because of how it portrays gay people. I am a gay man myself and I totally hate BL and I hate how fujoshis treat gay men and how they talk about us.

[@rasesvari]

​@@wolfgangchen7287💯

[@moo8698]

You don't understand. Go to an asylum where these people were put not so long ago to treat them. Go there. Talk to them. Ask them if they feel normal. Ask them if they see the difference between themselves and a normal person. Do that please. Same thing applies to these people. They can't understand why they are sick in the head. It's normal for them. They only see that someone like me says they are sick. Like if I wanna hurt them. No. I don't wanna hurt them. But when these people stating false ideas about a sickness is not right. And we will not pretend you are healthy. Essentialy a schizo, a pedo, a pshyco, a homo.. They all do their things the way they wanna do. They don't see it is not normal. When a guy f.s a guy, when a guy f.s a car, when a guy talking in his head with other 3 guys, when a guy like 5 years olds, when a guy likes to kill and doesn't understand why is it wrong. It's all the same thing. Do yourself a favor and think about it. It's all wrong. In a healthy population it wouldn't stay there because they wouldn't reproduce it.

[@JazyyWazyy]

@@moo8698 are you schizoprhenic by any chance?

[@alvinsmith3894]

One major factor as to why people thinks it's "fictional" is because most BL creators are women. So they think it's just a mythical fantasy. Not something real. In contrast, most GL/Yuri creators are women and readers are mostly women too, so in that way I can see why people can see those as more real than BL sometimes.

[@sportbros1]

this channel is single handedly making me want to go to Japan

[@theveganalien]

Thank you for making this video!!! 🥰 Thank you to everyone speaking up!! It takes courage!!! ❤️

[@blacm3rmaid]

Omdz he said he was almost in his 40's and still looks 18yrs young amazing. Love you Takashii, I adore how you say channel, I'm slowly learning Japanese and recently learnt about Mora so I'm excited to be able to build and adopt those natural principles. :D

[@studioghiblets958]

Thank you for doing this! I want to live in japan for some amount of time and I'm glad the atmosphere is kinda neutral (at least compared to the us currently). idc if people don't like me or think I'm gross, but it's nice to know I won't be beat up or worse just for existing. Thanks for spreading visibility too!! Have a good one!

[@zaynes5094]

@studioghiblets958 There was a guy who got 6 years behind bars for discrimination against the girlfriend of his daughter and he just didn't really like his daughter being "like that" but he really hated this one girl. Long story short, after some arguments and words thrown around, a physical confrontation was had between them and threw her to the ground and kicked her a few times. She wasn't hurting anyone by being that way. Or trying to love his kid. He just resented her and was a homophobe who resorted to violence. He got 6 years for that and his own daughter wasn't even mad about it. She said she loathed him for the situation he put their families in all because of a dispute he had with her girlfriend who he hated.

[@princessarellano6752]

i need more stan interviews!! so well-spoken

[@GabrielMartinFlores]

What a sweet video! Thank you for sharing this. I’m keen to visit Japan 🇯🇵 and I love the people and culture. Your interviews and your own warmth and kindness just made me feel even more enthusiastic to visit! Keep up the great work! SUPERHUGGS

[@jameshays932]

Thank you....very wise and thoughtful comments from people. Good interviewer, handles people very well.

[@nowherech]

Amazing interview and opinions! Currently we are located in Finland doing reportage in our channel and try to understand the point of view of other people . 💪🏻🇫🇮

[@giulianobonaldo2995]

😀

[@eliascsjunior]

Amazing video Takashi! I would watch some other interviewees for hours. 🤗

[@LouisTheAlligator14]

Here are the top 5 most lgbtq friendly countries in Asia 1. Taiwan 🇹🇼 2. Nepal 🇳🇵 3. Israel 🇮🇱 4. Japan 🇯🇵 5. Philippines 🇵🇭 And the top 5 least lgbtq friendly in Asia 1. Afghanistan 🇦🇫 2. Iran 🇮🇷 3. Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦 4. Yemen 🇾🇪 5. Qatar 🇶🇦

[@LouisTheAlligator14]

Reasons: Taiwan 🇹🇼- 1st country in Asia to allow lgbtq marriage Nepal 🇳🇵- Allows lgbtq marriage Israel 🇮🇱- Legal guardianship and acceptance Japan 🇯🇵- Legal guardianship and tolerance Philippines 🇵🇭- overall tolerance Afghanistan 🇦🇫- Death penalty Iran 🇮🇷- less enforced death penalty Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦 - Death penalty but not enforced/prison Yemen 🇾🇪- no tolerance / prison Qatar 🇶🇦- less tolerance / prison

[@elgatofelix8917]

Israel should be at the top of that list. It's just one of many reasons why they are so despised and rightly so.

[@lil_lei_og]

@TAKASHII I'M OBSSESSED WITH YOUR VIDEOS. THANK YOU FOR COVERING THE THINGS YOU DO AND THE WAY YOU DO IT. KEEP IT UP

[@SOA_yt]

Also it’s interesting that 4/5 of the interviewees are “foreigners” at least in the Japanese sense. So it wiuld be more interesting to see interviews with lgbtq+ japanese people who are treated like japanese, their experiences would be much different, especially since as the first guy said being gay is seen as a foreigner thing lol

[@MixedRogueKhorri]

Omg you interviewed Stan 😂😂😂😂😂this is so cute

[@vasilikonstan]

My favorite KZbinrs in one video!!!?!!? Takeshi AND Stan & Stewie!! I love it❤

[@quack-orange]

I love your videos, it shows normal people and their experiences with living in Japan.

[@PurpleCows]

Thank you for making this video!! I hope there are more!! Thank you to everyone that allowed themselves to be interviewed as well!! ❤❤❤

[@palacioed17]

Omg! You Interviewed Stan! 😂 Best crossover ever 😂 😍

[@bazhousecat]

Great video, mate :) Will be visiting Tokyo in August with my husband, so will be interesting to see how people react to our Gaijin way of life 😂 Quite sad to hear that so many people still feel the need to stay in the closet there, particularly with family and colleagues. Hopefully things change. Representation (such as this video) are so important for progress 😊

[@Ghaida946]

They feel that they are in the closet because they know that this thing is wrong but you do not want integrity but you want deviation homosexuality is forbidden True love between male and prose

[@Dio_Silva]

11:03 How this guy is almost 40?? I'm 28 and I look like I could be his dad 😢

[@nrm6410]

same here..

[@aperal732]

Lmao my jaw dropped when he said that 😂

[@SherLock55]

LOL. It's those Asian genetics bro, a lot of them retain their youthfulness much easier.

[@OneRandomVictory]

Dude looks like he's in college.

[@GameFuMaster]

same, was like... 40? that hairstyle makes him look 20

[@foo9877]

You are so cool Takashii. Thanks for making this video. Have you ever done a video about disabled people in Japan?

[@lbow5479]

As an asian american it's always interesting to see Pride in other asian countries, even if it's not the main one my family is from, because perspectives are always changing and when one place becomes more accepting, others might follow. Thanks for sharing!

[@echung168]

It's always interesting how many men thought they were straight and married a women only to find out they preferred the other sex later on in life. Some come to that realization later on in the marriage, some force themselves into a heterosexual marriage due to external factors or just trying to suppress/hide themselves. People say homosexuality is a Western notion, and to some extent it is but not in the sense it's coming from the Americas but rather the west in the European history. Though plenty of homosexuality occurred in the history of the Eastern countries yet we always try to deny this fact.

[@elgatofelix8917]

That's the impact that leftist propaganda has on youth. The brainwashing is severe.

[@kggamerking4777]

​@@elgatofelix8917no,the brainwashing is coming from the right

[@_timi_02]

so good to see Stan on your channel ! 🥰

[@funguy6844]

Once again a great interview and topic Takashii!! Please keep doing the Japanese subtitles! They are SUPER useful/helpful! Can't wait for the next one!!

[@AndroctonusHector]

Amazing questions keep up the good work brother 🤝🏻.

[@antonymph-of-the-internet]

takashii, please dont listen to the rude comments. im a queer person who plans to visit japan, and this video gave me an insight! it was helpful! thank you C:

[@laurieannegagnon]

It's cool that japanese people are not violent towards queer people, but like isn't it sad that our standards are so low. Like that should never be a fear anywhere, but sadly I know it is...

[@elgatofelix8917]

You have no idea what's cool and what isn't.

[@laurieannegagnon]

@@elgatofelix8917 okay?

[@T0MIEtomieT0MIE03]

THAT MAN IS ALMOST 40??! Holy I thought he was like 19-23

[@TimDFSmart]

You got Worldofxtra on here!!! Stan!!! Awesome!

[@jaspberry522]

Thx so much for doing this!

[@brooke9798]

Really great video. I enjoyed learning from the guests.

[@ChadGardenSinLA]

Thank you for this! I came out of the closet in Japan, right after 9/11. I was a USAF Officer stationed at Yokota Kichi. I'm glad to have come out in Japan as it was a very safe and supportive community. I may have spent a little too much time from ni-chome to shin-urayasu🐭😊😊😊

[@idk-bz7fh]

Ngl bro I'm starting to notice many changes in your interviews and u have improved. 🎉

[@emmanuelfuenmayor5056]

Japanese people are not against lgbt people in particular, they’re against anyone who is different to them. As being gay is a sexual minority, therefore there different, automatically they get rejected. This rejection won’t be active as they don’t insult, threat or attack physically, but they do have a passive rejection.

[@spacechannelg6843]

this is such an important video! same sex love existed in japan a long time ago but because of western religion and control it was discriminated against. so i think its beautiful seeing japan becoming more open minded again just like it originally was. it will get better especially with people as awesome as you takashii! i really enjoy your content keep it up ne ^_-

[@ImGonnaFudgeThatFish]

Marijuana in all of its forms has also been demonized solely because of the US winning the WWII and carrying their puritan policies into the occupation of Japan. Problem is that while the US has been slowly realizing they've been fucking wrong about the plant and legalizing it to varying degrees of success in the country, Japan has only been getting STRICTER about it. In fact there's a loophole currently where you can sell CBD products in Japan as long as it has less than 0.03% THC (extremely difficult to normally achieve, have to use other parts of the plant), and while the industry is gradually booming in Japan, there's still a massively unfair stigma around it and is under threat to just get banned again

[@rasesvari]

truly

[@MrYowen88]

Thanks Takashi, good video! I would like to see you do more videos on this topic as well. 🙏

[@AceKingz15]

I would not mind if there was a part 2 of this video, keep up the good work Takashii!

[@botanicalitus4194]

LGBTQ+ people all over the world are some of the smartest and most kind people out there. Thats because they suffer so much unfair hatred from religious people and conservative close minded people, so that molds them to be empathetic and kind to others. Im so glad that these people are saying there is more LGBT acceptance in Japan, it's such a heartwarming thing to hear ❤ 🌈

[@aliyah.bouziane]

WHOSE HERE FOR STAN

[@wargames2195]

From this video, most of the LGBT in Japan are foreigners.

[@jacquelinerdaley9837]

Thank you, very helpful & informative 👍

[@mafuyu1380]

Gay people are fine and perfect,I love you all❤

[@elgatofelix8917]

Nobody is perfect. Especially you and your child obsessed buttbuddies

[@CherryBerry-bm2wx]

​@@elgatofelix8917bro can't see anything that isn't about him 🤷🏻‍♀️ grow up or do your homework and stop bothering people