LGBTQ Japanese inspired by pop star Shinjiro Atae’s coming out story: ‘very brave, admirable’
- The artist said he wanted to share his ‘life’s challenge’ with fans, after years of struggling to accept his identity
- Atae’s move was cheered by many in Japan, with one LGBTQ activist saying it would encourage more people to ‘be who they want to be’
Japanese pop star Shinjiro Atae has received an overwhelmingly positive response after surprising his fans and the country’s music industry by announcing that he is gay at an event in Tokyo.
Atae rose to fame as a backing dancer at the age of 14 before becoming a singer with the J-pop outfit AAA, and then going solo. The artist has been living in the United States for the last two years, where he has been working on his 446 Double Four Six apparel brand in Los Angeles.
For years, I struggled to accept a part of myself. But now, after all I have been through, I finally have the courage to open up to you about something. I am a gay man
He announced the fan event in Tokyo’s Shibuya district in June, saying on his website, “I would like everyone to continue to support me, but I also recognise that it is difficult for them to understand.”
Atae added that he wanted to meet his fans to explain “my life’s challenge”.
In front of around 2,000 fans at the Line Cube Shibuya venue on Wednesday, Atae read from a piece of paper: “I respect and believe you deserve to hear this directly from me. For years, I struggled to accept a part of myself. But now, after all I have been through, I finally have the courage to open up to you about something. I am a gay man.”
Onlookers said the audience was initially silent, before they broke out in screams, applause, tears and calls of, “I love you!”
“But I also find it quite surprising that a popular Japanese musician could come out as gay, because that must have been very difficult for him,” he told This Week in Asia. “I read the letter he wrote to his fans and found it to be very sincere and brave. To me, that is extremely admirable.”
Yoshioka, who works for a multinational firm in Tokyo, said he had looked at media reports and social media reaction to Atae’s announcement, and was pleased to see it had been positive.
“I’ve not seen anything negative, but I’m sure there will be some comments like that,” he said. “But so far, nothing.”
Yoshioka’s position was echoed by dozens of comments on social media, with one Twitter user describing it as “heartwarming”. Another tweet, apparently by a Japanese person struggling with their sexuality, said Atae’s comments had eased their depression and “the feeling of wanting to die”.
In another message, a commenter said coming out in Japan “requires great determination and courage”.
As Mr Gay Japan, Yoshioka is also in the public eye and there are some parallels between the two men’s lives. In an interview with The New York Times, Atae said he concealed his sexuality all through his teen years and his 20s. Yoshioka also said he could only come out to his mother when he was 21, “because I felt I could not hide it any longer”.
Yoshioka says he is completely comfortable at his current company, which is proactive on diversity and inclusion, and notes it would have been far more difficult – if not impossible – to feel accepted at a Japanese company.
Asked whether Atae’s admission would help other Japanese struggling with their sexuality, Yoshioka was unequivocal.
“Yes, 100 per cent. This is definitely going to help more people to come out and be who they want to be, despite this being a deeply conservative society,” he said.
“But I have additional hopes. I want this moment to change Japan’s heteronormative culture, and also that when someone else comes out and identifies with the LGBTQ community, it will not be such big news,” he added. “I want this to just be part of our normal, everyday lives.”
