A Japanese court recognizes a transgender man's petition to legally change his gender without having first undergone sterilization, after the country's top court ruled the requirement unconstitutional in October.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida remains cautious about legally recognizing same-sex marriage and allowing married couples to take separate surnames, as opposition lawmakers grilled him on issues ranging from the economy to gender equality at the start of an extraordinary parliamentary session.
A Japanese court has said that a law requiring surgery to switch genders on a family registry is unconstitutional, as it made a ruling on a case involving a transgender man in central Japan, according to his lawyers
People changing registered gender rising at record pace in Japan
A total of 948 people altered their officially registered gender in Japan in 2019, the highest number since a law was enforced more than a decade ago as part of efforts to protect the rights of transgenders, a judicial survey showed Sunday. An LGBT parade is held in Sapporo, northern Japan, on Sept. 12, 2020. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
The trend reflects widespread public awareness of those with gender identity disorder and the law, experts say. But they also warn that the environment surrounding such people has not improved significantly, citing strict conditions for them to apply to change their sex in family registries.