Same-Sex Marriage: Japan Court Upholds Ban

The continuing ban on same-sex marriage in Japan was upheld by a Tokyo court on Wednesday. But the court also remarked that the lack of legal protection for same-sex families violated their human rights.

The plaintiffs of this case unfurled a banner outside the courthouse reading, “A step forward for Marriage Equality” after the ruling.

It may be noted that Japan is the only country among the G7 nations, where same-sex marriages are still not allowed.

In Wednesday’s ruling, the Tokyo district court termed the ban on same-sex marriages as constitutional. According to Nobuhito Sawasaki, one of the lawyers of the case said to Reuters, “”While marriage remains between a man and a woman, and the ruling supported that, it also said that the current situation with no legal protections for same-sex families is not good, and suggested something must be done about it”.

Same-sex couples are not permitted to marry or inherit each other’s assets in Japan. It means same-sex couples do not enjoy the same rights as heterosexual couples.