Japanese idol Shinjiro Atae made headlines this week after publicly announcing that he is gay. The announcement happened at a fan event on 26th July in Shibuya, Japan, where the former AAA member gave a touching speech and shared his thoughts about coming out after years of being in the Japanese entertainment industry.
During the emotional speech, the singer broke down in tears as he shared his fear of coming out as gay in the Japanese entertainment industry. He said he was worried that the industry and his fans would shun him, so he kept his sexuality a secret for years and developed anxiety due to the pressure. However, after encountering people of the same sexuality, the idol started gaining the courage to come out.
The singer also took to Instagram to share a statement regarding his announcement, writing in English and Japanese. He said it took him a long time to be able to come out as a gay man, even struggling to admit it himself. However, he decided to come out, sharing that he wanted to give courage to those in the same position as him and support the LGBTQ+ community in Japan.
The 34-year-old also announced his return to the entertainment industry after taking a break when his group AAA went on hiatus in 2021. With his new song “Light The World”, the singer hopes that it will provide listeners with strength. Shinjiro also shared that a documentary of him is currently in the works.
After the announcement, many fans and celebrities showed their support, including AAA member Misako Uno. His coming out story is also groundbreaking in conservative Japan, where LGBTQ+ members still suffer discrimination and harassment. In another post, Shinjiro shared his gratitude after receiving positive feedback from fans and media for his announcement.
We’re happy that Shinjiro found the courage to come out, and we hope his coming out story will provide strength for many others.
