Pride House Tokyo Develops and Releases Free LGBTQ+ Workplace Training Materials "What Allies Can Do: Become an Active Bystander!" in Collaboration with Sponsors

NPO Pride House Tokyo, in collaboration with its sponsors, has developed and released LGBTQ+ workplace training materials titled "What Allies Can Do: Become an Active Bystander!" designed to foster a perspective of not overlooking harassment and discrimination, and to teach allies (supporters) practical, manageable actions. These materials are based on a program that has been utilized and highly praised in corporate training settings and in joint projects with sponsor companies in fiscal year 2025. They are available for free download and can be used for internal training in various companies and organizations.

- The training materials can be downloaded from the link below:

Download here → https://pridehouse.jp/news/4752/

*An ally is defined as someone who understands, respects, and supports LGBTQ+ individuals by acknowledging the diversity of sexual orientation and gender identity.

1. An Action-Oriented Program Born from Co-Development with Sponsors

These materials are the result of a co-developed training program with our sponsor companies. With the concept of "increasing the number of active allies," the program emphasizes "practice" – how to translate LGBTQ+ initiatives into concrete actions in the workplace, rather than merely understanding them as knowledge. The central theme is the "active bystander" who protects a safe and secure environment by appropriately engaging as a third party in response to inappropriate remarks or behaviors (microaggressions) in the workplace.

This program has been highly evaluated through its use in actual corporate training sessions. It was also implemented as a workshop in a joint project targeting Pride House Tokyo's sponsor network in fiscal year 2025 (held in February 2026), where it received positive feedback. Based on the tangible results from these practical applications, we have refined the materials and are now releasing them for free so they can be utilized in a wider range of workplaces.

▼ The fiscal year 2025 joint project is introduced in the following press release.

From "Knowledge" to "Action": Implementing a Practical LGBTQ+ Initiative Program Born from Workplace Challenges.

2. About This Training Material

This material aims to teach perspectives for "not overlooking" harassment and discrimination, as well as options for allies to offer support, make appropriate remarks, or connect individuals to resources. Through dialogue among participants, it fosters understanding of keywords such as "ally," "active bystander," "microaggression," and "outing," and translates this understanding into actionable steps in the workplace.

Beyond simply inputting knowledge, the program aims to be a catalyst for individual behavioral change by allowing participants to "see, feel, and discuss" through role-playing scenarios (skits) that simulate situations likely to occur in the workplace.

3. Features: Composed of Skits and Discussions

The skit portion presents realistic workplace scenarios where pre-assigned actors perform according to a script. Three people perform the skit, while other participants observe. The skits intentionally include words that may cause discomfort, statements based on unconscious bias, and microaggressions. The subsequent discussion allows participants to share their feelings and thoughts on how to improve the situation.

To prevent secondary harm from inappropriate remarks during the workshop, careful confirmation of ground rules is conducted to ensure participants' safety and security. The design prioritizes psychological safety, allowing participants to comfortably turn off their cameras, take temporary breaks, or step away if they feel distressed, accommodating the participation of individuals with lived experience.

4. "So-Ba-Ni-I-Te" Actions for Tomorrow: The 5 Actions of an Active Bystander

This material organizes the internationally recognized 5 D's of active bystander intervention into easily memorable Japanese actions: "So-Ba-Ni-I-Te" (Stay Close).

So: "So"rasu (Distract) - Divert the perpetrator's attention with an unrelated topic to create a situation where harassment is less likely to continue.

Ba: "Ba"tchiri証拠 (Evidence) - Organize and record what happened (leave evidence).

Ni: "Ni"geru (Escape Together) - Temporarily leave the situation to ensure safety, then offer support once calm.

I: "I"ma sugu Kai-nyu (Intervene Immediately) - Directly address the perpetrator, for example, by saying, "That is harassment."

Te: "Te"tsudai wo Motomeru (Seek Help) - When taking action yourself is difficult, ask a third party or others for help and cooperation.

Even if an incident cannot be prevented on the spot, this material conveys the message that everyone should collectively create an atmosphere where "harassment is unacceptable," rather than leaving it as an issue solely between the victim and the perpetrator.

5. Released After Practical Application in Training and Joint Projects

These materials have been utilized in actual corporate training sessions and in the fiscal year 2025 joint project with sponsor companies. In participant surveys for the joint project, all respondents answered "satisfied" or "very satisfied," with approximately 70% selecting the highest rating. Furthermore, over 90% of participants reported gaining "learnings that can be brought back to the workplace," confirming the high effectiveness of the content.

6. Released Under Creative Commons License. Please Utilize for Your Internal Training.

These materials are released under a Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) and can be used free of charge for non-profit internal training and other purposes. We encourage you to use these materials to create learning opportunities in your workplace. We welcome information on usage examples and feedback.

Comment from Yurino Igarashi, Representative Director of NPO Pride House Tokyo

These materials were born from co-development with our sponsor companies. Each time we used them in actual training sessions and joint projects, we received significant positive feedback from participants, and their desire to "use them in more workplaces" encouraged us. That is precisely why we wanted to release them in a format that everyone can freely use.

Even without elaborate systems or perfect responses, each individual can take a step to "not overlook." By being present and starting with what one can do. I hope these materials will serve as a catalyst for dialogue and action in each workplace.

[About NPO Pride House Tokyo]

Launched as a project aiming to broaden understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, spurred by the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, involving diverse organizations, individuals, companies, and embassies. Currently, under the themes of "Learning Together," "Supporting Together," and "Acting Together," we plan and implement collaborative programs and offer various events and content related to diversity. In October 2020, we opened and now operate "Pride House Tokyo Legacy," Japan's first permanent, large-scale comprehensive LGBTQ+ center, near Shinjuku Gyoenmae Station.

Official Website: https://pridehouse.jp/

[What is Pride House Tokyo Legacy?]

"Pride House Tokyo Legacy" is a permanent, comprehensive LGBTQ+ center with doors open to everyone. Its purpose is to disseminate LGBTQ+ information and provide a safe and secure space. Official Website: https://pridehouse.jp/legacy/

[What is Pride House Tokyo Consortium?]

"Pride House Tokyo" plans and implements various collaborative programs divided into themes such as "Learning Together," "Supporting Together," and "Acting Together," in conjunction with NPOs and other organizations involved in LGBTQ+ and social activities.

(Alphabetical order / As of June 2026) ■Organizations (Total: 15 Organizations) ◎NPO AKTA

◎NPO Anata no SOGIE

◎NPO Colorful Change Lab

◎Thousand Books PRIDE Series

◎Volunteer Group Sign Language Friends

◎Volunteer Group Diversity Lounge Toyama

◎Volunteer Group Reading Salon

◎NPO Nijiiro Kazoku

◎Certified NPO Place Tokyo

◎Volunteer Group Mushimegane no Kai

◎Volunteer Group UDA (University Diversity Alliance)

◎Volunteer Group Ritsu-Niji (formerly Teachers' Association Aiming for Diversity)

◎Certified NPO ReBit

◎Volunteer Group Rainbow Soup

◎Volunteer Group Rainbow Tokyo Kita Ward

Companies (Total: 27) <Rainbow> ◎Panasonic Connect Co., Ltd.

<Platinum>

◎ABeam Consulting Ltd.

◎EY Japan Corporation

◎NTT Corporation

◎MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, Inc.

◎Gilead Sciences, Inc.

◎Salesforce Japan Co., Ltd.

◎Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc.

◎Nomura Holdings, Inc.

◎Mizuho Financial Group, Inc.

<Gold>

◎Accenture Japan Ltd.

◎ASICS Corporation

◎Suntory Holdings Limited

◎Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.

◎Persol Career Co., Ltd.

◎Visa Worldwide Japan Co., Ltd.

◎Fujitsu Limited

◎Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

◎Meiji Co., Ltd.

<Silver>

◎AINET Corporation ◎Aero Toyota Co., Ltd.

◎DAZN Japan Investment LLC

◎Toyota Motor Corporation

◎Oracle Japan Co., Ltd.

◎Hakuto Co., Ltd.

◎Fuyo General Lease Co., Ltd.

◎Meiji Seika Pharma Co., Ltd.

[Contact]

NPO Pride House Tokyo Secretariat

spponsor@pridehouse.jp