Tokyo Pride draws thousands to spotlight important year for LGBTQ rights
About 15,000 people braved rain over the weekend to march through central Tokyo, waving rainbow flags and calling for equality during Tokyo Pride 2026, as Japan’s LGBTQ+ community faces what advocates say could be a decisive year for legal rights.Organizers said an estimated 274,000 people attended the two-day event on Saturday and Sunday, which also featured shows, workshops and talk events. Over 200 companies and organizations took part.Tokyo Rainbow Pride is one of Asia’s largest LGBTQ+ rights events. This year’s theme, “Equal rights today. A freer, fairer tomorrow,” reflected mounting expectations around a potential Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality by the end of the year.
