Pride Month 2026 | Nomura's Initiatives for LGBTQ+ Inclusion

June is Pride Month, a time dedicated to celebrating and bringing awareness to the LGBTQ+ community globally.

Now in our 101st year, Nomura is taking a new step forward. Building on the history and trust we have cultivated over the decades, we will continue to focus on creating a workplace for the next 100 years that respects diversity and enables everyone to be themselves. 

Our Purpose—“We aspire to create a better world by harnessing the power of financial markets”—serves as a guiding principle for the firm and all Nomura employees. To put our Purpose into action, it is essential that every employee can work with peace of mind and maximize their potential.

To mark Pride Month this year, our voluntary employee networks have organized various awareness initiatives at our offices around the world to encourage greater understanding of the LGBTQ+ community. Some of these initiatives are highlighted below.

Nomura PRIDE Asia ex-Japan is hosting a roundtable titled "For All of Us: Leadership Through the Lens of Pride" on June 25 as part of a global collaboration within Nomura. This event will focus on the role of leadership in driving inclusion across the firm, as well as allyship as an integral pillar of inclusion. The panel will feature speakers from the regional Pride Networks, along with external senior leaders with extensive experience in LGBTQ+ Inclusion.

Tokyo Pride 2026, one of Asia’s largest LGBTQ+ events, will be held in June under the theme “Equal rights today. A freer, fairer tomorrow.” This marks the 11th year of Nomura’s sponsorship, and many of our employees will once again take part.

Ahead of Pride Month, Nagoya Rainbow Pride was held on May 16. Employees from Nagoya, Tokyo, and Osaka gathered for the event, wearing matching happi coats and walking through the streets of Nagoya with calls of “Happy Pride!” In addition, Pride Cruise Osaka 2026 was held on May 23. Participating employees raised rainbow flags from the boat and cheered on people along the route.

Our Americas Pride Network will hold a Lunch & Learn session with Todd Sears, CEO and Founder of Out Leadership, to discuss an excerpt from one of the organization’s upcoming research reports. The report, “Out to Succeed,” highlights changing attitudes toward being openly LGBTQ+ in the workplace. 

The EMEA Pride Network will host its 12th Pride BBQ on Tuesday, June 23. We are pleased to welcome Lee Knight—a 2026 Academy Award-nominated writer, director, and actor—as our guest speaker.

His directorial debut, A Friend of Dorothy—starring Miriam Margolyes and Stephen Fry—earned an Oscar nomination for Best Short Film. The film also garnered international acclaim on the festival circuit. As an actor, Lee has performed on stage in the West End and appeared in television series and movies. He led the critically acclaimed revival of Kevin Elyot’s Coming Clean, which was revived to mark the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalization of homosexuality in the UK.

In Asia ex-Japan, our flagship Trivia Night will be held on June 10. The event will feature two drag performances in Singapore and Hong Kong, along with competitions in categories such as music, pop culture, and LGBTQ+ history. Participants will take home attractive Pride Network merchandise, and the top-scoring teams will win voucher prizes.

Nomura is proud to sponsor the Inclusive Careers Fair as part of Singapore’s Pink Fest 2026. At Nomura's booth, we will introduce our initiatives to foster an inclusive workplace environment.

This reflective quiz uses “Myth or Fact” questions and real-world scenarios to encourage employees to examine their assumptions, challenge misconceptions, and think more deeply about inclusion. It is designed to guide each participant through a personal journey of reflection and learning.

An LGBTQ+ inclusion module is embedded in Nomura Powai's new joiner onboarding program, ensuring that every new employee understands sensitivity toward the LGBTQ+ community and allyship support.