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The Documentary: Trans in Japan

Hiroko Masuhara and Fumino Sugiyama

07/01/2020 GMT

Trans in Japan

BBC World Service - The Documentary, Trans in Japan

The controversial laws over how people can change gender in Japan

Mariko Oi investigates controversial laws over how people can change gender in Japan.

Mariko Oi investigates what is said to be barbaric and inhumane laws over how people can change gender in Japan. Currently in Japan to change gender, people must be sterilised, have gender reassignment surgery, not have any children under the age of 20 and must be single. The government further state you cannot have gender reassignment surgery if you are on any type of hormone replacement - and you must accept the psychiatric diagnosis of "gender identity disorder". Being forced to accept both the surgery and this diagnosis is a hugely controversial subject for the global transgender community. Mariko Oi meets the campaigners fighting to change this law and the people suffering as a result of it.

(Photo: Japanese gay woman Hiroko Masuhara (L) and transgender Fumino Sugiyama smile as Tokyo's Shibuya ward decided to issue "partnership" certificates to gay couples. Credit: Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Images)

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