Thousands join Tokyo's Rainbow Pride Parade

Thousands of people on Sunday joined the Tokyo Rainbow Pride parade as it moved across the Japanese capital.

Some 7,000 people, mostly marchers and their supporters, and many of them dressed in flamboyant clothing, walked through parts of downtown Tokyo, Efe reported.

The course began in the trendy Shibuya district and slowly made its way 2.5 km south until it wrapped up in the sprawling and leafy Yoyogi Park, according to an itinerary published on the Tokyo Rainbow Pride official website.

About 37 different marching groups were part of the parade, and marchers carried the iconic rainbow flags of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender movement, as well as placards and signs with messages promoting respect for LGBT relationships.

At the end of the march, revelers gathered around a stage in Yoyogi Park to hear performances from Japanese pop stars and music groups.

Sunday's parade concluded a series of events for Tokyo Rainbow Pride 2018 that began with Pride Week on April 28, and featured parties and receptions across Tokyo.

Though Japanese society tends to be socially conservative, the country last year mandated in its Basic Policy for the Prevention of Bullying that schools should prevent bullying of students based on their sexual orientation, according to a Human Rights Watch report.

--IANS

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