Court rules on same-sex marriage

Japan’s lack of a law to protect the rights of same-sex couples to marry and become families violates the constitution, the Tokyo District Court ruled Wednesday in a closely watched case in a country still largely bound by traditional gender roles and family values. The court, however, said the government’s lack of legislative action is not illegal and threw out plaintiffs’ compensation demands of $7,215 each. Still, the ruling was a partial victory for LGBTQ couples.

The plaintiffs and their lawyers welcomed the ruling as “ground breaking” and urged the government to promptly take steps to enact a law to mitigate the problem.