Japan: NHK Tries to Clear Up LGBT Misconceptions

Last month, publisher Iwanami Shoten was criticized for its definition of “LGBT” in the newest edition of Kojien, which is considered to be the most authoritative dictionary of the Japanese language. The complaint was specifically about the meaning of the acronym’s “T” portion, which stands for “transgender.” Kojien lumped “transgender” in with “lesbian,” “gay” and “bisexual” as describing persons “whose sexual orientations are different from the majority.” The four-part weekly NHK drama, “Joshiteki Seikatsu” (“Life as a Girl”),  which ended Jan. 26, was designed to help clear up such misconceptions.