Japan first country to elect a transgender man

Tomoya Hosoda, 25, won a councillor’s seat in Iruma city, Kanto.

The politician, who was born a woman and transitioned in 2015, promised to defend LGBTQ people, the elderly and the disabled.

He told Gay Star News: ‘Until recently, people have acted as if sexual minorities do not exist. We have many hurdles to overcome, but I hope to live up to everyone’s expectations.’

It’s the second time a transgender person has been elected in Japan.

In 2003 transgender woman Kamikawa Aya became a Tokyo municipal official.

Mr Hosoda previously spoke about his transition to the Out in Japan magazine.

‘I thought that I could not be happy,’ he said.

‘But I remember to taking my courage and deciding to come out and hope to live.

‘For me, coming out is just the starting line. Some walls can not be overcome by one person. But at such time, we have to work together and help each other out.

‘By moving forward one step at a time and meeting all kinds of people people, ways of thinking and values started to change.’

Writer: Jimmy Nsubuga for Metro.co.uk