A Ray of Hope and a Harsh Backlash: Supporting Trans Youth in Japan
Today we have an article from Mameta Endo, who founded and leads an LGBTQ+ support group in Japan called Niji-zu（24zzz). If you’re a paid subscriber you're receiving this article 1 week early. All funds go to support TPATH's work and, in particular, pay the writers of these articles. If you would like to write an article for us please reach out to leadership@tpathealth.org for details.
Mameta Endo
June 28, 2025
Natsuki, a transgender junior high school student, was torn over whether to skip the school choir competition, where students were required to wear gendered clothing. Normally, Natsuki would wear a tracksuit to school, but that option was not allowed for the event. Lacking the courage to perform in boys’ attire, Natsuki considered not attending at all. However, after joining a LGBT youth space for the first time and making transgender friends, Natsuki found the strength to participate in the competition dressed as a boy. Although Natsuki’s parents had not been supportive at first, they eventually came to understand after seeing how happy Natsuki looked at the choir competition, and even took a commemorative photo of Natsuki with classmates.
This story is part of a serialized manga in the long-running and popular comic “Kocchimuite, Miiko”, which has been published since the 1990s. The introduction of a transgender character in such a widely read and established manga was widely covered in Japanese media. Natsuki's story didn’t end in a single episode—it has been expanded into multiple installments, and in December 2024, a special edition titled “Miiko Selection: LGBT Edition” was published. As the founder of Niji-zu（24zzz）, an organization that provides safe spaces for LGBT youth, I supervised the development of Natsuki’s story.
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Natsuki’s journey represents a sign of hope that Japanese society is gradually changing. At the same time, the manga’s author was bombarded with anti-trans comments on social media. As anti-trans rhetoric spreads globally, Japan’s transgender community is also experiencing a severe backlash.
The organization I lead, Niji-zu, is Japan’s most prominent service for LGBT youth. We hold approximately 120 safe-space events each year in 15 cities across Japan and in the metaverse, offering spaces where youth can talk and play freely without fear. Over 5,000 individuals have participated so far, and like Natsuki, many have found empowerment through friendship with peers.
However, since around 2022, baseless accusations have circulated, claiming that we are "grooming" children. These conspiracy theories, originating in the U.S. and U.K., have been translated and imported into the Japanese online space. In 2022, we were forced to shut down our anonymous online counseling service due to an increase in prank messages. In June 2023, we deleted our Twitter account after the risk of harassment at our event venue. In the fall of 2023, an anti-trans activist visited one of our events and live-streamed a conversation with staff on Twitter Spaces without consent.
As a result, we have had to hire legal protection for our events and establish an internal risk communication team to address harassment. Government agencies we work with, grantmaking foundations that support us, and youth-serving organizations that have participated in our trainings have all been inundated with complaints from anti-LGBT actors. For example, after the Noto Peninsula Earthquake in January 2024, an NPO that was sheltering displaced children was targeted with a wave of false allegations simply because they had previously attended our training. The absurd claim was that they were using the disaster as a pretext to groom children—an extremely harmful and distressing accusation for organizations working in emergency child protection.
Fortunately, none of our partner agencies or funders withdrew their support. On the contrary, many citizens showed solidarity by sending messages and making donations to Niji-zu. We have filed around 50 legal requests for information disclosure concerning malicious Twitter posts. So far, all cases have been judged as illegal acts. In many instances, the posters have issued apologies and paid settlements. In fall 2024, one individual was criminally charged for defamation against Niji-zu and fined 300,000 yen. These legal victories have led to a visible decrease in hostile online posts, although the anxiety about a potential resurgence remains.
Over the past few years, Niji-zu has increased its public outreach to alleviate parental concerns and explain our safeguarding measures. While some attackers act out of pure malice, others are misled by fear and misinformation. We've learned that some of these individuals are open to understanding if we take the time to explain our work carefully. In a society overflowing with disinformation, our activities are sometimes misunderstood. Yet there are also many who recognize the importance of supporting LGBT youth.
In 2024, Niji-zu published a guidebook aimed at adults, including parents, offering practical ways to support LGBTQ youth. The guidebook features a conversation between prominent newscaster Takako Zemba and openly gay scholar of Japanese literature Robert Campbell. In the conversation, Takako Zemba reflects on the death of a transgender male friend during her student years and shares that, as a mother, she reads books about gender diversity to her child. Takako is likely to serve as a positive role model for many parents in Japan.
In the face of the rising tide of anti-trans backlash across the globe, many of us are searching for ways to resist and protect our communities.
We welcome any insights on how we can build broader support and understanding. Let’s continue to share ideas and learn from one another. You can support Niji-zu via our website at https://24zzz-lgbt.com/donation/
References
@mameta227. (Oct 6, 2023). X. https://x.com/mameta227/status/1710139039867904058
@nagayasu_shibun. (Sep 27, 2023). X. https://x.com/nagayasu_shibun/status/1707635812748468348
Niji-Zu (24zzz). (Nov 2024). 活動へのご理解のお願い [Thank you for your understanding regarding our activities]. https://24zzz-lgbt.com/blog/2023onegai/
Niji-Zu (24zzz). (n.d.) https://24zzz-lgbt.com/
Niji-Zu (24zzz). (n.d.). 訴訟費用などのご支援のお願い [Request for support for legal expenses etc.]. https://24zzz-lgbt.com/blog/onegaisep/
Niji-Zu (24zzz). (n.d.). 応援者の声 [Comments from supporters]. https://24zzz-lgbt.com/message/
Niji-Zu (24zzz). (n.d.). [Donation]. https://24zzz-lgbt.com/donation/
Niji-Zu (24zzz). (n.d.). 安全な場を作るためのにじーずの取り組み [Nijis' efforts to create a safe space]. https://24zzz-lgbt.com/blog/safe_guarding/
Niji-Zu (24zzz). (n.d.). 冊子や啓発動画のご案内 [Information on booklets and educational videos]. https://24zzz-lgbt.com/blog/materials/
Ono, Erika. (Dec 25, 2024). みい子セレクション～ＬＧＢＴ編～ [Miiko Selection ~LGBT Edition~]. Shogakukan. https://www.shogakukan.co.jp/books/09873022
Sato, Takeru. (Mar 1, 2023). 連載32年目の「こっちむいて！みい子」で、トランスジェンダーの中学生が初登場。その思いとは【作者インタビュー [A transgender junior high school student makes her first appearance in "Look This Way! Miiko," now in its 32nd year of serialization. What are the thoughts behind this?]. HuffPost. https://www.huffingtonpost.jp/amp/entry/story_jp_621c4174e4b03d0c803aebee/
Shiiki, S., & Murkami, J. (2025, Apr 1). LGBT支援団体に対する名誉毀損 女性に罰金30万円 小松簡裁. [Woman fined 300,000 yen for defamation against LGBT support group. Komatsu Summary Court]. Asahi. https://www.asahi.com/articles/AST3W3RVST3WULOB01DM.html
Tomita, Sumireko. (Dec 22, 2024). 一人じゃない。メタバースで繋がる「居場所」を作ってみたら…。LGBTQの若者に今伝えたいこと. [You're not alone. What if we created a place to belong in the Metaverse? What I want to say to LGBTQ youth right now]. HuffPost. https://www.huffingtonpost.jp/entry/nijizu-vr_jp_65a0a417e4b0fbd2bc062801
@ZapmguduqT73013. (Jan 13, 2024). X. https://x.com/zapmguduqt73013/status/1746196690686869827