Waseda WeeklyWaseda Weekly

The gate of Tokyo Pride 2026 held at Yoyogi Park

"Student Reports". In this installment, Sari, a student staff member at Waseda University’s Center for Gender and Sexuality (hereinafter GS Center), reports on “Tokyo Pride 2026,” which took place in June 2026!

I want to work together to create a just society free from discrimination and oppression, where everyone can live authentically.

Gender and Sexuality Center Student Staff
Sari, 2nd year Master's student, Social Construction Theory course Graduate School of Letters, Arts and Sciences

In front of Gender and Sexuality Center booth

On June 6th (Saturday) and 7th (Sunday), 2026, the Tokyo Pride 2026 festival and parade were held at Yoyogi Park.

Tokyo Pride is Asia's largest and most symbolic event for LGBTQ+ (sexual minorities, etc.). The theme for this year's 15th edition was "A Future Opened Up by Diversity and Equality." Its aim is to bring together many people, including LGBTQ+ individuals, the LGBTQ+ community, various organizations, government agencies, companies, and allies (*1), to deepen their understanding of human rights issues and create opportunities to eliminate prejudice and discrimination. Approximately 270,000 people visited the festival venue this year, which featured related booths, food trucks, and stage performances.

*1 Refers to the idea of understanding and empathizing with LGBTQ+ people, or people who have clearly stated such a stance.

GS Center is a safer space and resource center that serves as a haven for LGBTQ+ students and everyone interested in gender and sexuality (including allies), and is freely accessible to all. For the first time in three years since 2023, GS Center decided to set up a booth and participate in the parade, and preparations were carried out by student staff for the past six months with the cooperation of the staff. The LGBTQ+ Tomonkai members also helped with the booth operation on the day of the event. At the booth, we displayed a "Student Staff Introduction Board" introducing the interests of each student staff member and past planned events, distributed a zine booklet created by the student staff, and held a message board and a gacha machine.

The zine and stickers distributed on the day (left), and the collaborative project (right) where ideas were solicited to make universities and schools safer spaces for LGBTQ+ people.

GS Center is said to be the first LGBTQ+ resource center at a Japanese university. We believe that Waseda University's participation in Tokyo Pride, an event featuring NPOs, educational institutions, companies, and embassies that support the LGBTQ+ community, is of great importance.

We're also running a campaign where people who follow us on social media or subscribe to our email newsletter can try our gacha machine.

Furthermore, we had two specific objectives in mind when setting up our booth. The first was to inform people that Waseda University has GS Center. Every year at the open campus held in August, we run events aimed at LGBTQ+ people considering applying to Waseda, as well as people interested in gender and sexuality. The second was to increase the number of followers and subscribers to our social media and newsletters. This is to raise awareness of future events and the center.

Over 1,200 people visited GS Center booth over the two days. Furthermore, we gained over 400 new followers on social media during that time! This success is thanks to everyone who contributed in various ways, from the preparation to the day of the event.

One thing I realized after setting up a booth was the name recognition of Waseda University. Many of the people who stopped by our booth were familiar with Waseda University and also showed interest in GS Center. Among the messages in the group message project, there were comments like, "I want to get into Waseda!" This reaffirmed my desire to create an environment where those who will have a connection with Waseda in the future can feel a little more at ease knowing that GS Center exists.

A view of the booths on June 6th. Booths from various universities, including the University of Tokyo and Chuo University, are lined up.

Another important point is the reaffirmation of GS Center 's significance through intergenerational dialogue. While speaking with alumni in their 50s and 60s, I sometimes heard comments like, "I couldn't come out about it back then, but I'm envious that a Safer Space Resource Center like this exists." GS Center, which was born from a student competition 10 years ago, carries the hopes and dreams of many people, and it was a moment that made me feel the significance of its continued existence at Waseda University.

Every June is Pride Month, and events and campaigns are held around the world to celebrate the dignity of the LGBTQ+ community and to remember and represent the "history of the struggle for rights" (*2). We hope that this will encourage you to take an interest in Pride, perhaps by participating in a Pride-related event. We also want to work together to create a just society where there is no discrimination or oppression, and where everyone can live authentically. And we hope that GS Center will continue to be a place where such people can gather.

*2 Pride Month has its origins in the history of various resistance movements demanding LGBTQ+ rights that occurred in the 1990s, including the Stonewall Uprising in the United States in 1969. The first parade in Japan was held in 1994, giving it a history of over 30 years.

A commemorative photo of three student staff members from GS Center (the author is on the left).

[Waseda University Center for Gender and Sexuality (GS Center)]
Toyama Campus Waseda University Student Center (30 Building) 1st Floor
Tuesday–Friday, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
* Mondays: 1:10 PM–4:00 PM
* Please check our website or Instagram for opening hours
​◆Instagram:@gscenter.waseda