TOKYO, Japan – A court said on Wednesday, November 30, that Japan’s ban on same-sex marriage was constitutional, delivering a blow to LGBTQ rights with the second such ruling in the only G7 nation where same-sex marriage is not permitted.
But in what plaintiffs took as a sign of hope, the Tokyo district court ruling also said the absence of any legal system for same-sex couples to have families was an infringement of their human rights. Japan’s constitution defines marriage as based on “the mutual consent of both sexes,” and the ruling party of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has disclosed no plans yet to review the matter or propose legislation.
The court ruled that banning same-sex marriage was in line with the constitution, reaching the same conclusion as a court in Osaka