Tokyo celebrated its first Tokyo Rainbow Pride parade on Sunday, April 29, as thousands of marchers walked through Shibuya and Harajuku.

Speakers at the event—which is separate from Tokyo Pride, which is held August 11—included Japan’s first two openly gay politicians, Taiga Ishikawa and Wataru Ishizaka, trans politician Aya Kamikawa, members of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan and representatives from the U.S. Consul General of Osaka.  Members of the U.S. military were on hand as well, marching with OutServe.

The event coincided with the start of Golden Week—Japan’s major holiday season— and also included drag shows, traditional dance and a video greeting from  pop star and gay icon Ayumi Hamasaki, whose song “How Beautiful You Are” was chanted by the crowd.

Click through for more photos from Tokyo Rainbow Pride

Photos: Steve75, Tokyo Rainbow Pride