thedailywhat:

Gay Marriage Endorsement of the Day: Same-sex weddings have no legal status in Japan, but that hasn’t stopped Tokyo Disneyland from giving them the OK.

“I wrote 10 years ago that I looked forward to the day when gay and lesbian couples could hold hands and go to Tokyo Disneyland,” said Taiga Ishikawa, Japan’s first openly gay politician. “I’m very happy.”

A full wedding ceremony in Cinderella’s castle, with Mickey and Minnie included on the guest list, costs about $95,000. The park is now accepting applications.

[wedinator]

danger-close:

thefrictioninyourjeans:

Aokigahara (青木ヶ原), also known as the Sea of Trees (樹海 Jukai), is a 35km forest that lies at the north west base of Mount Fuji in Japan. The forest contains a number of rocky, icy caverns, a few of which are popular tourist destinations.

The forest, which has a historic association with demons in Japanese mythology, is a popular place for suicides; in 2002, 78 bodies were found, despite numerous signs, in Japanese and English, urging people to reconsider their actions. Due to the wind-blocking density of the trees, and an absence of wildlife, the forest is known for being eerily quiet.

The forest is a popular place for suicides, reportedly the world’s second most popular suicide location after San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. This popularity is often attributed to the 1960 novel Nami no Tō (波の塔, lit., “Tower of Waves”) by Seichō Matsumoto, which ends with two lovers committing suicide in the forest. However, the history of suicide in Aokigahara predates the novel’s publication, and the place has long been associated with death: ubasute may have been practiced there into the 19th century, and the forest is reputedly haunted by the ghosts of those left to die.

There are no reliable statistics counting total or average body count in the forest. In 2002, 78 bodies were found within the forest, replacing the previous record of 73 in 1998. In 2003, the rate climbed to 100, and in recent years, the local government has stopped publicizing the numbers in an attempt to downplay Aokigahara’s association with suicide. In 2004, 108 people killed themselves in the forest. In 2010, 247 people attempted suicide in the forest, 54 of whom completed the act.

The high rate of suicide has led officials to place signs in the forest, in Japanese and English, urging those who have gone there in order to commit suicide to seek help and not kill themselves. The annual body search, consisting of a small army of police, volunteers, and attendant journalists, began in 1970.

(from Wikipedia)

Aokigahara: Suicide Forest Documentary on YouTube (warning: some photos of bodies are used, and although they are not particularly grisly, they are still real bodies; viewer discretion is advised). The man being interviewed, Azusa Hayano, is amazing.

Watched this documentary today. Saddening but so amazing in places. And Azusa Hayano is such an inspirational guy.

occupyallstreets:

Tokyo Rainbow Pride Parade Aims To Raise Diversity Awareness

Some 2,500 people marched in a gay pride parade in Tokyo on Sunday, vowing to transform a low-profile campaign for the rights of sexual minorities into a major movement in Japan.

The crowd, mainly from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, as well as their supporters and sex workers, paraded through the capital’s entertainment and shopping district of Shibuya.

Waving rainbow-coloured flags and banners, foreign and Japanese campaigners marched in colourful carnival and samurai warrior outfits.

It was the first parade organised by Tokyo Rainbow Pride, a private organisation formed last year which aims to support the rights of sexual minorities.

“Compared with that of New York or London, Japan’s awareness of sexual minorities is quite low,” said Sayaka Kato, a spokeswoman for the organisation.

“I’m afraid Japan has yet to have a culture of accepting diversity.” 

The group hopes to stage a gay pride parade with 50,000 participants within the next five years by expanding its networks among not only Japanese but foreign residents.

Wataru Ishizaka, 35, who as an openly gay politician in Japan is a rarity, noted that a number of sexual minorities in the country still hesitate to take part in events in support of LGBT rights for fear of discrimination.

“Japanese sexual minorities are still concerned about their exposure to the public,” said Ishizaka, a local Tokyo politician, after participating in the parade.

Source

sagenundlegenden:

Female Japanese archer, photographed by Tony Jarry and posted by maxre.  Maxre’s note to the photo:  “The northern part of Japan is the place where the majority of archers are women. This event is a women’s only event. They ride and shoot at fixed targets. Towada has the most women archers in Japan. This City also has the most women archers in the country. Very traditional sport.”

I like Towada.

kittenskittenskittens:

vicemag:

I like to have tea with cats in Japan because I’m shy

!!!

OMG I WANT TO GO TO THERE.