Tokyo to recognise same-sex partnerships, as activists in Japan push for greater LGBT rights
- Governor Yuriko Koike said the Japanese capital will draft a basic principle to recognise such unions by the end of March
- Japan is the only G7 country not to recognise same-sex marriage, with the ruling LDP reluctant to enact reforms despite opinion polls in favour of recognition
Tokyo will move to recognise same-sex partnerships, its governor said, becoming the largest city in Japan to do so, as activists push for national recognition.
But in recent years, local authorities across the country have made their own moves to recognise same-sex partnerships, and activists have filed lawsuits hoping to push the national government to reverse course.
“In response to the wishes of Tokyo residents and those concerned by this issue, we will draft a basic principle to recognise same-sex partnerships this financial year,” Governor Yuriko Koike announced late on Tuesday.
She added that the city planned to introduce the policy by the end of the following financial year, ending March 2023.
Activist group Marriage for All Japan welcomed the news in a tweet but noted “partnership doesn’t have the same legal effects as marriage”.