This Shinto Shrine in Hyogo, Japan Openly Welcomes LGBTQ Couples

Japan's Central Shrine Administration has taken an aggressively anti-LGBTQ stance. But some Shinto shrines are bucking the prejudice.

Want more UJ? Get our FREE newsletter 

Need a preview? See our archives

Amidst a wave of queerphobia by the establishment forces in shrine Shinto, and the increasing calls for marriage equality in Japan, a shrine in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture is opening its doors to LGBTQ couples wanting to get married on shrine grounds.

Progress and Stagnation

Local and prefectural jurisdictions in Japan are codifying legal protections for LGBTQ people, while societal acceptance grows. The list of jurisdictions with a domestic partnership registry system for same-sex couples is likewise increasing.

Legal protections at the national level, however, continue to lag. In the absence of these protections, discrimination on the everyday level sadly continues in the interim. We discussed some of this in a recent article about medical discrimination against a lesbian couple looking for maternity care.

The ruling LDP’s measures toward positive change is piecemeal at best, and in the wake of the recent summit, it bears noting that Japan remains the only G7 country where marriage equality is not enshrined in law. The LDP has, it is true, pushed for a bill to “understand” LGBTQ people. However, critics rightly observe that this bill does not go far enough in imposing actual safeguards.

Meanwhile, the party simultaneously continues to stoke the fires of discrimination. In July 2022 we covered the backlash from an anti-LGBTQ booklet distributed by the Shinto Political Association (Shinto Seiji Renmei), the political arm of the Central Shrine Administration (Jinja Honcho).

Some sects of Shinto such as the Konko Faith have explicitly voiced advocacy for LGBTQ rights. Sadly, Shrine Shinto’s acceptance lags.

But one shrine in Hyogo Prefecture is joining the slowly growing number of shrines choosing to stand apart and welcome LGBTQ people, including for weddings.

One Shrine Steps Up

Japanese and LGBT flag

In his article on the institutional stance of Shrine Shinto on marriage equality versus individual shrines choosing a more inclusive path, Hyōgo based writer Ōta Masayuki asked the Central Shrine Administration for comment. This request went unanswered.

However, he also polled individual shrines on the question. Some said that they opposed it. But others responded in the affirmative or said that they wanted to at least “explore” the issue.

Ōta also related the story of Matsuura Keita and Sakurai Hideya, partners and Amagasaki residents, who were recently looking to have a wedding ceremony at a shrine. They were turned away by many shrines that follow the Central Shrine Administration’s queerphobic ideology.

Amagasaki Ebisu Jinja, however, stood apart from the others by accepting the couple’s request. They will not be the last, as the shrine will be open for same-sex weddings starting in June.

A Courageous Priest with International Experience

Amagasaki Ebisu Jinja, Hyogo Prefecture
Picture: クロチャン / PIXTA(ピクスタ)

Amagasaki Ebisu Jinja is a Shinto shrine in Amagasaki City that claims a thousand years of history. Its current priest, Ōtagaki Nobuyo, has held the office since 2012, following a prior career that took her beyond Japan for many years.

Ōtagaki comes from the priestly family that had previously run Amagasaki Ebisu. However, she had her first career based in Hong Kong as cabin crew for an Australian airline. Only later did she change careers to join the priesthood.

She has had many gay and lesbian friends and has officiated many shrine weddings of heterosexual couples, as well as couples who belong to different faiths. As such, she’s no stranger to adapting rituals as the need has arisen.

Ōtagaki sees no difference in adapting things for the needs of LGBTQ couples wanting to get married at her shrine. “Amgasaki is a diverse city after all.” She consulted with Matsuura and Sakurai and organized their wedding easily, while also maintaining the due measure of decorum for a shrine ritual.

“We’re proud to have a shrine like Amagasaki Ebisu-san in our city,” said Matsuura. “We’d love to see more shrines join it [in becoming more accepting].”

A Myriad of Diversity

Some may stubbornly oppose change. But as Ōtagaki observes, we are in a transitional period, and views are changing. For her part, Ōtagaki’s view may well be a sign of a new wave of acceptance among Shinto clergy. As she put it:

“If there are kami enough to be innumerable, then surely those spirits are likewise abundantly diverse and able to reach today’s society. I’d like to cherish that.”

What to read next

An Inside Look at Miko (Shrine Maiden) School in Japan

Sources

Want more UJ? Get our FREE newsletter 

Need a preview? See our archives

Japan in Translation

Subscribe to our free newsletter for a weekly digest of our best work across platforms (Web, Twitter, YouTube). Your support helps us spread the word about the Japan you don’t learn about in anime.

Want a preview? Read our archives

You’ll get one to two emails from us weekly. For more details, see our privacy policy