Organizers behind Tokyo's sixth annual
Rainbow Pride fair and parade said Sunday that this weekend's
festival set a new attendance record.
The two-day fair, which included booths
set up by many Japanese and Japan-based foreign companies, began on
Saturday. Thousands of people joined Sunday's parade to celebrate
the LGBT community.
According to organizers, roughly 70,000
people attended this weekend's fair and parade, the biggest turnout
in the event's history.
Support for LGBT rights is growing
gradually in Japan. Several of the city's wards have started
recognizing gay and lesbian couples with same-sex partnerships.
A
poll released last year found that a majority (51%) of Japanese
support changing the nation's laws to allow gay couples to marry.
However, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said
this week that it has found systemic bullying against LGBT students
taking place in Japan's schools.
(Related: Human
Rights Watch calls bullying of LGBT students in Japan “epidemic.”)