Loading...

Apr 24, 2018

Tokyo Rainbow Pride: TRP 2018 welcomes Ayumi Hamasaki

Tokyo Rainbow Pride (東京レインボープライド) returns to the Japan capital in 2018 to spread its message of love, diversity, and equality across LGBT communities and beyond with a program of events, festivals and parades taking place throughout Tokyo over the Golden Week period and a little help from pop superstar Ayumi Hamasaki.


Tokyo Rainbow Pride: TRP 2018 welcomes Ayumi Hamasaki photo


For the last few years, one of the most colorful events of Tokyo’s Golden Week calendar has been Tokyo Rainbow Pride -- a week or so of LGBT related events, parties, and awareness raising that culminates on the event’s final weekend with the Pride Festival and Pride Parade.


Tokyo Rainbow Pride established itself in 2011 having emerged out of a somewhat confusing, conflicted and stop-start set of LGBT events and parades that took their tentative hold in the mid 1990s when the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association Japan (ILGA) held this country’s first gay pride event -- the Tokyo Lesbian & Gay Parade -- in 1994.


After some success, organization of the event seems to have become bogged down in disputes that lead to scrapped plans, a name change -- to Tokyo Pride Parade -- and periods of hiatus throughout the 2000s.


After holding successful events annually since 2012, Tokyo Rainbow Pride (TRP) seems to have found the winning formula using its all-inclusive message (“Equality in all love” - “すべての愛に平等を”) to encourage participation from across the whole spectrum of the LGBT community in Tokyo (Japanese and foreign) as well as those who might identify themselves as straight.


The event has attracted some big names over the years, even seeing Japan’s First Lady Akie Abe take part in proceedings for the 2014 edition of the event during which she stood atop a float in the Pride Parade.


In 2017, some 5,000 people joined the event’s parade through the streets of Shibuya, the hub for much of what goes on during Tokyo Rainbow Pride. That year also saw the TRP sponsored by some 190 companies and organizations, a record for the event.


Quite what influence TRP is having on attitudes and tolerance towards sexual minorities in Japan is perhaps hard to measure or pin down definitively but since the event found a stable footing local governments in Japan have begun to recognize same-sex partnerships with Tokyo’s Shibuya and Setagaya wards, both at the heart of the capital’s LGBT scene, leading the way in 2015. To date the cities of Iga,Takarazuka, Naha, Sapporo and Fukuoka have followed suit.


While TRP spreads itself out over the Golden Week period with events, talks, exhibitions, screenings, club nights and more dotted about venues across the capital, proceedings take their most visible and accessible form during the Pride Festival and Pride Parade.


Pride Festival is held on and around the Yoyogi Park Outdoor Stage, typically over the final weekend of Golden Week. Visitors to the free event will find an impressive spread of booths set up by support groups, community leaders, NGOs, retailers and food / booze servers, with musicians providing live music entertainment on the stage. In keeping with the event’s ethos, it’s is a welcoming set up that is a lot of fun to be around whether here solo or with others.


The Tokyo Rainbow Pride Parade runs on the final Sunday setting out in staggered groups from outside of the NHK building and, in previous years, heading down Shibuya Koen-dori before looping up through Omotesando and Harajuku to come back to Yoyogi Park.


The parade has to contend with a lot of vehicle traffic meaning that participating groups set off at staggered intervals down one lane of the roads (while vehicles are free to pass by on the other) so those watching won’t get to see one singular mass of bodies. Still, it’s a colorful and, well, gay (in the truest sense of the word) affair with plenty of extravagant costumes on display, high-fiving, warm smiles, and novelty sunglasses. Most participants seem happy to have their photographs taken (although one supposes they waiver any right to object as soon as they sign up to join).

For observers, streetside crowds are not so busy that a good ogle of the action can’t be found. While the parade’s initial march down Shibuya Koen-dori might present the stiffest challenge to getting a clear view, there are plenty of other opportunities -- a good one being on the foot bridges over the road junction just south of JR Harajuku station, as well as on the raising section of the main Omotesando thoroughfare, the Harajuku end. It’s also fun to see paraders lined up in their full and glorious garb outside of the NHK building as they wait to set out.


Tokyo Rainbow Pride 2018


The 2018 edition of Tokyo Rainbow Pride is delivered under the theme of “Love & Equality” echoing the influence / inspiration of the late New York artist Keith Haring whose later works addressed homosexualty and AIDS. 2018 marks the 30th anniversary of Haring’s birth.


The event is back with the expected lineup of parade, festival, live stage, booths and a Golden Week’s worth of events across Tokyo running from April 28 to May 6 in its entirety.


For the casual observer, perhaps the biggest news related to Tokyo Rainbow Pride 2018 will be the “special live” appearance of J-pop superstar Ayumi Hamasaki (浜崎 あゆみ), the 39-year-old “Seasons” singer set to take to the Yoyogi stage on the event’s final day (Sunday May 6). This is surely something of a coupe for the event organizers -- it must be rare that one can get to see an artist of Hamasaki’s popularity perform without having to fork out a lot of money on tickets -- as well as presenting a challenge in regards to safety and crowd control (it looks like some sort of numbered ticketing system will be in place).


Along with Hamasaki TRP 2018 is set to welcome 36 participating groups for the Pride Parade (a parade record). Groups this year include those from Amnesty International and cosmetics retailer LUSH.


While it looks like anyone can join in the parade, those that wish to do so will have to register at a reception near the Yoyogi Park Stage area -- registration is available right up until the last parade group sets out. Those wanting to join a specific group must register on May 5 between 13:00 and 17:00. One group can consist of around 200 members. A final announcement on whether or not the parade will go ahead (presumably due to weather conditions) will be made 72 hours prior. Check the TRP website and social media channels.


Tokyo Rainbow Pride: TRP 2018 welcomes Ayumi Hamasaki photo


Tokyo Rainbow Pride very well fills out its Yoyogi Park Outdoor Stage setting. You can see a map of the booth layout for TRP 2018 here. Among the attending companies and organizations are some impressive heavy hitters that include the likes of Google, BuzzFeed Japan, Japan Tobacco Inc. (you see, all-inclusive), Shiseido, the editorial department from Cosmopolitan magazine, Starbucks (serving coffee), and one of two booths at the event to represent embassies for various parts of the globe.


Tokyo Rainbow Pride: TRP 2018 welcomes Ayumi Hamasaki photo


Pride Week, a series of events taking place in and at venues across Tokyo, probably represents the more “specialist” aspect of TRP. The week includes club nights, lectures and talks (themes this year include loans and housing for same-sex couples, transgender history, HIV prevention, and more), and participation / hands-on events (walks, a “Dyke Weekend,” karaoke, picnics). Quite how much the non-Japanese speaker will be able to get out of some the program during Pride Week isn’t made abundantly clear so those wanting to attend had better use sensible judgement when it comes to their linguistic abilities.



WhatTokyo Rainbow Pride 2018
WhenApril 28 - May 6, 2018
WhereYoyogi Park Outdoor Stage, Shibuya, Shinjuku, and other
Webhttps://tokyorainbowpride.com/
BoothsMap

Map: 



TRP 2018 breakdown ... 


Opening Reception: April 29, 18:00 - 21:00, Hotel Koé Tokyo (Shibuya)


Party of Life: May 4, 21:00 - 5:00, Sound Museum Vision (Shibuya)


Pride Festival: May 5, 11:00 - 18:00,  May 6, 10:00 - 18:00 , Yoyogi Park Outdoor Stage


Pride Parade: May 6, starts 12:00 midday 


Closing Party: May 6, 18:00 - 24:00, AiSOTOPE LOUNGE (Shinjuku Nichome)





Will you be heading to Tokyo Rainbow Pride 2018?  Have you been in previous years?  Let us know in the comments.





Further reading ... 


Tokyo Rainbow Pride 2017 comes to a climax on the streets of Shibuya




Reference: 


Tokyo gets double dose of gay pride for 2012, The Japan Times, APR 24, 2012




See us on ...

Twitter and Facebook: @citycostjapan

Instagram: @city_cost_japan



City-Cost

City-Cost

A Q&A and blogging community about life in Japan (plus a load of life-in-Japan stats!). Get your questions answered, share your experience! | Inquiry -> KyodoNewsDigital International Media | Tokyo, Japan | +81 3 6252 6402


0 Comments