Tokyo is slated to recognize same-sex partnerships starting April 2022, thereby making it the largest Japanese city to do so. To date, though, it is still unclear if LGBTQIA couples will get the same rights that married couples get in the country.
Japan’s constitution actually only recognizes opposite-sex partnerships, stating that: “Marriage shall be only with the mutual consent of both sexes.” Introduced after World War II, it has yet to be amended.
Tokyo City governor, Yuriko Koike, explained that the more recent move came after the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly unanimously agreed that it was time for the recognition of LGBTQIA relationships.
Until this development, Japan has been the only G7 nation to not legally recognize same-sex marriage. Nonetheless, over 100 local authorities in the country recognize certain rights for gay couples, such as joint names on rental contracts.
