The Dispatch
Broadening Horizons
Developments in DEI at Japanese universities
Japanese universities and society as a whole experience DEI challenges unique to many other regions. Overcoming them takes a regionalised understanding.
By Rohan Mehra
"Compared to a decade ago, the situation in Japanese universities has definitely changed."
"I encourage institutions to move on from a predominantly medical model of looking at disability."
"Universities don’t act against inclusion, but they also don’t take proactive steps."
In Brief
- While diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are growing across Japanese universities, progress often remains superficial due to cultural homogeneity and a lack of widely adopted key concepts like equity.
- Fragmented support and a failure to practice intersectionality mean complex student needs go unmet, alienating students; research shows 75% of sexual minority students do not come out on campus.
- True institutional change requires universities to embrace grassroots movements and shift from a medical model of disability to a social model, utilising their campuses as 'laboratories' for systemic reconfiguration.
“Fifteen years ago, no one wanted to touch questions about sexual minority support,” says Euan McKay, a social researcher at Nagoya University who works towards improving DEI in Japanese higher education.
“Now some universities are leading the way. But many still don’t know what to do, even if they accept that they should do something.”
Initiatives in diversity and inclusion at Japanese universities are growing and spreading, but key concepts like equity and intersectionality are still taking root.
Japan prides itself on its harmony, but real or perceived, this harmony is interwoven with a high degree of homogeneity and complacency. As such, there are noticeable gaps in the representation of diverse groups of people in many areas of Japanese society, including in education.
When compared with many other OECD countries, the lack of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is quite stark. For example, in 2024, Japan ranked 118 on the Gender Gap Index, and to date is the only G7 nation where marriage is exclusively heteronormative.
These and other interrelated issues have been covered by the media at times, but what is often overlooked is the range of unique homegrown initiatives and domestic research projects in Japanese universities, aiming to close the gap and to amplify minority voices.
Changes in Sentiment
“Our research shows that around 75 percent of sexual minority students don’t come out on campus,” says McKay.
“Those who do are more likely to experience microaggressions, mostly from peers. It’s clear why some feel alienated, disengage, or even drop out. What’s needed is education to change attitudes on campus.”
Assistant Professor Yoshiyuki Kawano, a clinical psychologist at the University of Tsukuba, is trying change these attitudes. He researches DEI in Japan with a focus on dementia, LGBTQ+ issues and student support, and highlights that while Japanese universities and society are slowly changing, progress often remains superficial.
“Compared to a decade ago, the situation in Japanese universities has definitely changed. Yet these changes are limited and have not fundamentally solved structural problems. It is not uncommon to hear LGBTQ+ students describe university efforts as ‘pinkwashing’ or performative, even while others feel reassured simply knowing their university has a stance,” says Professor Kawano.
“In Japan, many people’s understanding of DEI remains superficial, easily swayed by prejudice or social media narratives. But my impression is that we at least don’t have the same level of overt or violent discrimination found elsewhere.”
Intersectionality Paves the Way for Equity
Professor Kaoru Aoyama of Kobe University agrees that overt and violent discrimination is less likely in Japan. Her work there over 15 years situates her within gender, sexuality and migration studies, giving her a broad intersectional view of these issues.
“Although policy-wise Japan is far behind, daily life feels safe". I live openly with a female partner and our child, and I’ve never experienced negative reactions within my faculty or neighbourhood. I am in the privileged position of being a senior member of staff though, so I understand students own experiences may differ,” she says.
“In Japan however, even feminist colleagues often focus only on women’s issues. It’s understandable as women form a larger group, but it reveals a lack of equitable thinking. Issues for women, sexual minorities and other minorities should go hand in hand. Instead, they remain siloed. We know the word ‘intersectionality,’ but we don’t yet practice it.”
Waseda University, a private institution, is often regarded as relatively progressive for the country. There, Professor Tomochika Okamoto studies sociology through the lens of coexistence. His lab defines this as the reconfiguring of social categories that separate us. By practicing coexistence on campus, they hope they can essentially train people to question and rebuild the systems that govern society itself, with universities functioning as laboratories for institutional change.
Professor Okamoto notes that, while legal reforms have accelerated disability inclusion in Japanese higher education, institutional challenges still remain, particularly the need to further consolidate DEI initiatives across universities. He highlights the need to counter the domestic cultural tendency for ‘competitive meritocracy’, which can frame those deemed ‘less able’ or ‘less productive’ as less deserving of support.
“The Act for Eliminating Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities has driven progress in higher education. This might open the door to a system of personal assistance, like that seen in the UK, which would allow resources to be tailored to each student’s needs, giving them agency to shape their learning environments,” says Professor Okamoto. “Such models could expand into universal care systems for children, the elderly, and others, making society as a whole more equitable.”
Given Japan’s now well-known demographic aging and how that necessarily connects with issues around disability, Okamoto does see rapid improvements being made in some areas.
“I encourage institutions to move on from a predominantly medical model of looking at disability, which can individualise responsibility for removing barriers, to a social model that reframes disability as social and environmental restrictions,” he says “Coexistence should be understood as institutional reconfiguration rather than a mere slogan.”
Demographic shifts
Back at the University of Tsukuba, Professor Kawano also emphasises moving from a medical model to a more social model for the communication and improvement of issues around disability. His lab’s other projects range from creating dementia-friendly communities to developing tools like the LGBTQ+ Student Support Index and DEI workshop manuals in collaboration with academia and industry.
“In many Japanese universities, international student issues, LGBTQ+ issues and disability support are handled by entirely separate offices. This fragmented approach means a single individual’s intersectional issues cannot be properly addressed. Developing new models of support that embrace intersectionality is one of the most pressing challenges,” says Professor Kawano.
“International students often bring complex and intersectional DEI issues to light. For instance, LGBTQ+ related consultations from international students can account for up to 70 percent of my workload some years. Their concerns are rarely simple matters of identity but are tied to culture religion, and the risk of exposure both in Japan and back home.”
McKay is also keen to highlight the impact of Japan’s impending demographic changes on higher education and how this intersects with DEI. With fewer Japanese students, universities are increasingly turning to international students to fill seats, something that has long-term implications not just for campuses, but for Japanese society and industry as well.
“It’s not just a simple case of filling spots with foreign students. You’ve got to think about Japanese society 20 to 30 years down the line. Fewer students means fewer researchers, less research output and fewer specialists supporting industry. Replacing them with international students means moving towards a multicultural society, whether Japan is ready or not,” says McKay.
“Until now, universities got by offering counselling and support in Japanese. But with more foreign students, we need specialists who can handle a range of minority issues in multiple languages. That’s going to be a huge challenge, especially for smaller universities.”
Grassroots movements take hold
This is not to say that international students will necessarily lead the charge when it comes to pioneering DEI though. The increase in international students will be just one of many sources of pressure for the government and institutions to change their way of thinking around DEI.
Many polls and surveys show the population of Japan is often sympathetic towards at least issues around sexual orientation and gender identity, demonstrating that it’s largely authorities behind the slow pace of change. And for this reason, many researchers advocate for grassroots action within institutions, ideally student-lead.
These will help push for greater equity, giving everyone the chance to start from the same starting point in their academic careers, minimising the barriers which face them at present.
“One of the watershed moments at Kobe came from a transgender graduate student who fought to use her chosen name. At first the administration hesitated, and there were some miscommunications and misunderstandings within it. But her tenacity forced us to clarify the rules,” says Professor Aoyama.
“Eventually, both our faculty and the university headquarters adopted a policy allowing chosen names. It shows how real change often comes from the bottom up, from students and allies pushing the institution.”
This sentiment is largely shared by those in active discussion around issues of DEI in Japanese universities and beyond. While progress is happening, the onus of responsibility mostly falls onto minority groups, and the lack of unity between causes is just one of the reasons. Professor Aoyama and others see some of the biggest positive changes in places where activities on the ground are visible, inclusive and proactive.
“Universities don’t act against inclusion, but they also don’t take proactive steps. If a problem comes up, they deal with it, if not, they do nothing,” she says.
“I’ve seen success with welcoming spaces, for example, with film screenings followed by discussions, where students can engage as much or as little as they like. Small steps like that matter, because you can’t push people too hard, but you can open the door.”