Japanese man seeks damages after death of same-sex partner, claiming he was barred from cremation ceremony
In Japan, legal protections apply only to married couples
A 69-year-old man in western Japan filed a lawsuit on Thursday seeking assets left behind by his deceased gay partner and damages for being barred from attending his cremation.
The rare case involving inheritance from a same-sex partner highlights the problems faced by such couples in a country that only provides legal protection to married couples.
The man from Osaka Prefecture sued his partner’s sister at the Osaka District Court, seeking to win back the assets held by her following her brother’s death in March 2016.
The man is also seeking 7 million yen (US$64,000) in damages from the woman, saying he was robbed of the chance to arrange the funeral for his long-time partner due to discrimination against homosexuals.
“I am dissatisfied that I am not legally protected on the grounds that we were a same-sex couple,” said the man, adding he hopes such discrimination will be eliminated soon.
While there have been cases of same-sex couples filing lawsuits to seek the same rights granted to opposite-sex married couples, a lawsuit over inheritance rights is rare, according to the man’s lawyer.