Some 3,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people paraded through Tokyo’s Shibuya district to demonstrate their hope that Japanese society will continue to forge ahead with recent moves to embrace equality and diversity.

This year, LGBT participants and proponents seemed particularly joyous, emboldened by what they see as a blossoming of LGBT-friendly moves by municipalities and companies. “The mood is definitely different this year. All the flyers or other goods we have prepared for visitors are disappearing like mad,” said transgender Fumino Sugiyama, one of the event’s chief organizers.

Amid the surge in public interest in LGBT issues, organizers decided to extend the festival to two days for the first time, Sugiyama added. Read More