In Japan, a J-Pop star has come out as gay and his fans cheer

Japanese pop star Shijiro Atae, rear center, poses with others during an announcement for a year-end TV music show in Tokyo on Nov. 24, 2010. Atae said he is gay in an emotional announcement at a fan event Wednesday, July 26, 2023, that was warmly welcomed in a country where the government does not recognize LGBTQ equality. (Kyodo News via AP) (AP)

MANILA, Philippines — Japanese pop idol Shinjiro Atae has come out as gay in a public announcement that is unusual in conservative Japan, where same-sex unions are not legal.

Speaking Wednesday evening to a crowd of about 2,000 of his fans in an auditorium in central Tokyo, Atae revealed he is gay.