Will Japan’s first same-sex marriage ruling be a beacon of hope?
What is the ruling about?The ongoing legal battle, dubbed “Marriage for all Japan,” started in February 2019 when 13 same-sex couples in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Sapporo each sued the state, seeking damages for mental suffering they claim they incurred due to not being able to get married legally.The movement broadened when, several months later, another gay couple initiated a similar lawsuit in Fukuoka.Although the lawsuits technically demand a payment of damages by the central government — ¥1 million per plaintiff — their real purpose, lawyers say, boils down to winning acknowledgment by judges that the law’s failure to recognize same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.Why is it that same-sex couples can’t marry in Japan?Currently, neither.
