Japan Industry Ministry Lifts Restroom Ban on Trans Worker

From Jiji

November 12 2024

TOKYO – Japan’s industry ministry has enabled a transgender employee to use all women’s restrooms in the ministry building, it was learned Tuesday. 

The employee, who is registered as male under the family registry system but lives as a woman due to gender dysphoria, had been allowed to use women’s restrooms at least two floors away from the one where she worked.

The National Personnel Authority initially approved the restroom use restriction.

But in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling in July 2023 that the approval was illegal, the authority made a revised decision last month that all women’s restrooms in the building should be made available to the employee.

The ministry informed her of the removal of the restriction earlier this month.