Japan just took a huge step towards marriage equality

[Jessica_Rose]

Japan just took a huge step towards marriage equality

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/10/japan-just-took-a-huge-step-towards-marriage-equality/ 🔗

Greg Owen (3 Oct 2025)

The government of Japan this week extended the application of nine laws related to spousal rights and responsibilities to same-sex couples, a significant, if limited, victory in the country's slow march towards marriage equality.

The Japanese constitution currently defines marriage as "mutual consent between both sexes." It does not recognize same-sex unions.

Three of eight of Japan's regional high courts in the last few years have ruled that the government's failure to grant legal recognition to same-sex couples is unconstitutional.

In its Tuesday announcement, the government said it will consider same-sex couples to be in "de facto marriages" under the additional laws, including a Disaster Condolence Grant benefit.

The decision follows one in January to extend 24 other laws to same-sex couples, including the Domestic Violence Prevention Act, the Land and House Lease Act, the Child Abuse Prevention Act, and the Public Housing Act.

In a regional high court decision on marriage equality issued in December, Judge Takeshi Okada ruled that civil laws forbidding same-sex marriage violate the nation's constitution, writing, "There is no longer any reason to not legally recognize marriage between same-sex couples."

[Lori Dee]

"There is no longer any reason to not legally recognize marriage between same-sex couples."

In reality, there never was.