In an emotional event in Tokyo on Wednesday, Japanese pop star Shinjiro Atae came out as gay to a crowd of 2,000 assembled fans. “It has taken me a long time to be able to say I am gay,” Atae wrote in an Instagram post shortly after the in-person announcement. “I could not even say it to myself. However, I’ve come to realize it is better, both for me, and for the people I care about, including my fans, to live life authentically than to live a life never accepting who I truly am.” Atae also dropped a new song, “Into the Light,” to coincide with his coming out. Atae launched his career with J-pop group AAA before going on to establish a successful solo career, catapulting him to international stardom.
