Three in four Japanese adults think society is unkind to sexual minorities, while just more than half oppose same-sex marriage, a recent nationwide poll found.
A total of 74.6 percent said they think society is either unkind or somewhat unkind to sexual minorities, including gay and transsexual people, according to the survey by Nihon Yoron Chosa-kai, a group tasked with carrying out opinion polls. The group is comprised of Kyodo News and 38 of its member news organizations across the country.
It showed that 19.7 percent believe society is either kind or somewhat kind to sexual minorities, while 5.7 percent said they did not know or gave no reply.
The survey was conducted March 1 on 2 and 1,744 people were interviewed.
On same-sex marriage, which is not legally recognized in Japan, 42.3 percent said they support it or somewhat support it, while 52.4 percent said they oppose or somewhat oppose it. The remainder said they do not know or gave no answer.
Same-sex unions drew divergent responses between the genders and age groups. Women in support of the concept, including those giving qualified endorsement, outnumbered those against it, while among men, those who oppose it were in the majority.
By age bracket, support reached 70 percent among those in their 20s and 30s, with 24.7 percent against. Among those aged 60 or older, 70.9 percent were opposed, and 23.6 percent were in favor. Sixty-two percent said they feel resistance or some resistance to homosexuality.
A total of 60 percent said they are not against a man and a woman living together outside marriage, but 69 percent said they were against an unmarried man and woman raising a child.