The streets of Shinjuku Ward are often populated by sound trucks blasting beats advertising pop groups and host clubs, but on Nov. 12, a more uplifting ruckus hit the area.
“No LGB without the T!” came shouts from the flatbed of one truck. “Trans rights are human rights!” came shouts from another, both of which were surrounded by marchers carrying banners of blue, pink and white — the colors adopted by the transgender rights movement.
The second Tokyo Trans March, organized by queer activists Tomato Hatakeno and Tomoya Asanuma, aimed to raise awareness and solidarity among the Japanese public for gender-diverse individuals. It was held to mark Transgender Awareness Week, which runs Nov. 13 to 19 and, according to the event’s own registration data, around 1,000 people took part.