Japanese pop star Shijiro Atae has told fans he is gay.
The announcement has been warmly received in a country that does not legally recognise LGBT equality.
He told an event in Tokyo on Wednesday: “What I’m going to tell you now may not be something you expect or hope to hear. Perhaps some of you may need time to understand.
“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.”
As he choked up, fans cheered, saying “hang in there” and applauding.
Atae performed for 15 years in the hugely popular group AAA before it went on a hiatus in 2020.
He has been based in Los Angeles lately and is pursuing a solo career in the United States.
Atae’s revelation comes at a time of increased awareness and support for the rights of LGBT people in Japan.
The political party that has governed Japan for most of its postwar history is known for its conservatism and many politicians in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party oppose equal rights.
Activists have increased their efforts to achieve an anti-discrimination law but parliament in June passed a significantly weaker alternative promoting awareness of sexual minorities without providing legal protections.
In Japan, where LGBT people still face discrimination in schools, workplaces and elsewhere, few public figures have come out.
Popular singer and personality Ai Haruna is a transgender woman who rose to fame in 2009 as the first Japanese to win Thailand’s Miss International Queen, a beauty pageant for transgender women.
Taiga Ishikawa is Japan’s first openly gay parliamentarian.
Atae said on Instagram admitting his sexuality took a long time and he worried he might be shunned from society and lose his career if he acknowledged being gay.
But he overcame many of those struggles and realised “it is better, both for me and for the people I care about, including my fans, to accept who I truly am and tell you so”, Atae said.
“I hope people who are struggling with the same feeling will find courage and know they are not alone.”
