The First Same-Sex Wedding at 400-Year-Old Minamiza Theater

Miho Fujikawa and Kazuko Nishimura (pledged partnership in Kyoto in 2020) will hold the first same-sex couple wedding and LGBTQ Rainbow Fest in Minamiza, a theater in Kyoto with 400 years of history, on Saturday, July 1, 2023. A rainbow parade will be held on the flower aisle to wish for the realization of same-sex marriage in Japan. Visitors will comecame not only from all over Japan but also from overseas.

Miho Fujikawa (pansexual female) and Kazuko Nishimura (questioningquezoning female) took the oath of partnership in Kyoto City.

In Kyoto City, the partnership oath system began in will begin in 2020, and many couples since then were are recognized as partners. However, because it is different from marriage , there are still many cases where couples are refused housing rentals and are denied rights that heterosexual couples would be entitled to.

“I hope that we can make our existence more visible and let more people know about it so that that they will realize that it is not something that is happening in the I hope that we can make our existence more visible and let more people know about it so that they will realize that it is not something that is happening in the distant world, but something that is happening in their own neighborhood, and so that the world will become a better place for everyone to live. I hope that a society where such things are not taken for granted will change and the names LGBTQ and Ally will no longer be necessary. Rainbow Fest in Minamiza is a festival that supports everyone who wants to live their own life. It is not about fighting for rights, but about being able to express your feelings to the people you love, to admit what you like and say you like it with confidence,. Toward a world where you recognize yourself and others also recognize the other person also recognizes you.”

[What for it existence need to be visible]

In Japan, one in eleven people (about the same percentage as left-handed or blood type AB) are LGBTQ, according to a survey, yet when asked if there are LGBTQ In Japan, one in eleven people (about the same percentage as left-handed or type AB) are LGBTQ, according to a survey, yet when asked if there are LGBTQ people around them, many people still answer that there are none.

Those who believe they are not present around them may unknowingly use discriminatory language or act in a way that denies their existence, hurting others And furthermore, people around them become unaware of their existence .

By holding this event and making their existence visible:.

Awareness for LGBTQ people will rise along with allies and allies will also increase LGBTQ people will be able to recognize that the existence of LGBTQ people is something that is close to them, and the number of allies will increase.

LGBTQ people will be able to recognize that the existence of LGBTQ people is something that is close to them, and the number of allies will increase.

LGBTQ people will realize they are not alone.

I want more people to accept their existence and live their lives as they are!

The Minami-za Theater, where the event will be held, is a historical landmark in Kyoto, with a 400-year history dating back to the Edo period (capacity of 1080 people). While there is still a tendency for Japanese wedding halls and shrines to refuse to host weddings for same-sex couples, we believe that the recognition of a same-sex wedding and LGBTQ-related event at this historic Kyoto location is of great historical significance.

(This event is sponsored by Kyoto City.)

LGBTQ support groups and students are invited to the event free of charge so that many younger generations can participate. There is no dress code, and men and women are welcome to wear wedding dresses, kimonos, cosplay, or whatever they want to wear to the parade. Timetable.

Timetable.

Saturday, July 1, 2023, 2:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m. Same-sex wedding ceremony

2:30 p.m. PR on the flower avenue

3:00 p.m. Hongo Somi Live

3:20 p.m. Parade on the flower avenue with rainbow flags

with DJ Dainoji

Details

Date & Time: Saturday, July 1, 2023, 14:00-17:00 (doors open at 13:30)

Place: Minami-za Theater

198 Nakano-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan Shijo-Ohashi Higashizume

Short walk from Keihan Railway’s Gionshijo Station [Exit 6].