Nintendo Will Honor Gay Partnerships Even When Japan Won’t
Video game creator Nintendo will recognize people in same-sex relationships, just as they had recognized “traditional marriages” — even when the country of Japan doesn’t.Last week the $95 billion company released its corporate social responsibility initiatives (CSRI) with one thing standing out.In the “Introduction of a Partnership System” portion of the CSRI, reports Go Nintendo, Nintendo restated that as of March 2021, the company has had a policy where “same-sex partners” will have the “same benefits as employees in an opposite-sex marriage.”This policy contrasts with the legal battle ongoing in Japan to get same-sex couples recognized by law.
Attempts at national and municipal legal changes have been made, but nothing has come from it. In a recent case on June 20 in Osaka, it was found that “under the constitution, the definition of marriage did not extend to partnerships between people of the same gender.” This effectively bans same-sex marriage in the country.Nintendo’s statement reads simply that if you are in a “common law” marriage, you will be granted the same rights as “traditional” couples.“Although same-sex marriages are not currently recognized under Japanese law, this system ensures employees who are in a domestic partnership with a same-sex partner have the same benefits as employees in an opposite-sex marriage,” the policy reads.
