Not included - BL or any majorly gay works where the main story is gay romance (BL) or any works that are too obvious (poster-wise) or pinkus. This list is strictly for side characters or main characters or for gay romance that is not the main theme. Exceptions - obscure content that is hard to find.

Dramas

1. 市川崑シリーズ・追跡 -  Ichikawakon series - Tsuiseki (1973) - 15th episode depicts a gay character and a masturbation scene, the drama got boycotted because of it and ended with episode 16; also titled 追跡
2. ラン - RUN (1993) - TBS drama, gay bar owner who became gay after supposedly being raped by a senior in school
3. 高校教師 - Kou Kou Kyoushi (1993) in one of the episodes, it is revealed that the basketball club captain is gay https://mydramalist.com/2114-kou-kou-kyoushi 
4.  あすなろ白書 - Asunaro Hakusho (1993) - secretly gay character that comes out, but no gay storyline https://mydramalist.com/2694-ordinary-people 
5. 告白 - Kokuhaku (1997) - homosexual themes, might be hard to find
6. 青の時代 - Ao no Jidai (1998) https://mydramalist.com/5604-ao-no-jidai
7. オヤジぃ。 - Oyaji (2000) - gay subplot for the first half of the drama, secretly gay character which comes out https://mydramalist.com/663-oh-dad- 
8. できちゃった結婚 - Dekichatta Kekkon (2001) - character suspected of being gay, but probably no gay storyline https://mydramalist.com/1356-dekichatta-kekkon 
9.  相棒 Season 2 - Aibou: Season 2 (2003) In episode 18 it is revealed that the partner of one inspector was gay https://mydramalist.com/3519-aibou-season-2 
10.   正三角形の定義 - The Definition of an Equilateral Triangle (2005) - part of the Division 1 series (https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Division_1); love triangle between two men and one woman, one of the men has a crush on the other https://mydramalist.com/70035-the-definition-of-an-equilateral-triangle 
11. 誰よりもママを愛す - Dare Yori mo Mama wo Aisu (2006) gay/bi characters, main and side https://mydramalist.com/481-dare-yori-mo-mama-wo-aisu
12. 怨み屋本舗－Uramiya Honpo (2006) gay side character who leaves wife to be with a man https://mydramalist.com/23264-uramiya-honpo 
13. 麗わしき鬼 - Uruwashiki Oni (2007) - lesbian/gay characters, major lesbian storyline, crossdressing gay character https://mydramalist.com/23976-uruwashiki-oni 
14. 肩ごしの恋人 - Katagoshi no Koibito (2007) gay side character, gay bar https://mydramalist.com/2104-katagoshi-no-koibito 
15. 恋愛診断 -   Renai Shindan (2007) gay, lesbian characters and romance https://mydramalist.com/2331-renai-shindan 
16. イノセント・ラヴ - Innocent Love (2008) - gay side character https://mydramalist.com/160-innocent-love 
17. 魔女裁判 - Majo Saiban (2009) - one side character is gay and had sex with another man https://mydramalist.com/289-majo-saiban 
18. ママはニューハーフ - Mama wa Nyuu Haafu (2009) transsexual main character https://mydramalist.com/6513-mom-is-a-new-half 
19. クレオパトラな女たち - Cleopatra na Onnatachi (2012) gay side character https://mydramalist.com/3937-cleopatra-na-onnatachi 
20. シェアハウスの恋人 - Share House no Koibito (2013) gay bait? need to check this one out, looks pretty gay from the screencaps https://mydramalist.com/5942-share-house-no-koibito 
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Movies

1. 惜春鳥 - Sekishuncho (1959) gay scenes
2. 肉体の学校 - Nikutai no Gakko (1965) gay character, prostitute
3. 薔薇の葬列 - Bara no Souretsu (1969) gay bar, trans character https://mydramalist.com/4436-funeral-parade-of-roses 
4. 戦場のメリークリスマス - Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) homosexual themes, possibly nuanced https://mydramalist.com/11234-merry-christmas-mr-lawrence 
5. らせんの素描 - Rough Sketch of a Spiral (1991) Japan's first documentary depicting gay men https://mydramalist.com/22459-rough-sketch-of-a-spiral 
6. 眠らない街 新宿鮫 - The City That Never Sleeps: Shinjuku Shark (1993) gay scenes https://mydramalist.com/27539-the-city-that-never-sleeps-shinjuku-shark 
7. ゴニン - GONIN (1995) gay character https://mydramalist.com/7582-gonin 
8. マークスの山 - Marks no Yama (1995) - gay rape scenes https://mydramalist.com/13891-marks
9. ブルース・ハープ - Blues Harp (1998) gay main character https://mydramalist.com/8470-blues-harp 
10. 警官の血 - Keikan no Chi (2009) - gay characters, a lot of scenes most likely https://mydramalist.com/27266-the-policeman-s-lineage 
11.  御法度 - Gohatto (1999) https://mydramalist.com/1611-taboo 
12. 佐藤家の朝食、鈴木家の夕食 - Sato-Ke no Choushoku, Suzuki-Ke no Yuushoku (2013) gay and lesbian scenes https://mydramalist.com/26452-sato-ke-no-choushoku-suzuki-ke-no-yuushoku 
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Bromance dramas

1. Red Torrent | Akai Gekiryu (1977) https://mydramalist.com/44325-red-torrent 
2. Aozora no Tamago (2012) lots of bromance scenes! https://mydramalist.com/5452-aozora-no-tamago
3. 先生のおとりよせ -  Sensei no Otoriyose (2022) https://mydramalist.com/720433-sensei-no-otoriyose 

Bromance movies

1. ゴーストダイアリーズ - Ghost Diaries (2021) https://mydramalist.com/706913-ghost-diaries