A Japanese gay couple has become the first to receive a ‘partnership certificate’ as the country takes gradual steps towards more tolerance for sexual minority groups.
Hiroko Masuhara, 37, and Koyuki Higashi, 30, were married and are the first to receive a certificate saying they are in a loving relationship based on trust in Tokyo’s Shibuya district.
The certificates are not legally binding, but carry only symbolic significance since the Japanese constitution identifies marriage as a union based on mutual consent of the parties from ‘both sexes’.
But the official recognition is aimed at encouraging hospitals and landlords to accept the certificate to try to ensure couples receive similar treatment to people who are legally married.
“As a first step, I hope this will spread across Japan, said an elated Higashi after receiving the certificate.
Japan has no laws against homosexual activity, and has some legal protections for gay individuals. In addition, there are some legal protections for transgender individuals.
Consensual sex between adults of the same sex is legal, but some prefectures set the age of consent for same-sex sexual activity higher than for opposite-sex sexual activity.
While civil rights laws do not extend to protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation, some governments have enacted such laws. The government of Tokyo has passed laws that ban discrimination in employment based on sexual identity.
Image: Hiroko Masuhara (left) and her partner Koyuki Higashi take a 'selfie' in front of the statue of famous Japanese dog Hachiko after the ward office issued the nation's first same sex partnership certificates in Tokyo, Japan. The banner in the background is advertising the start of the issuing of said certificates. Photograph: Yuya Shino/Reuters
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