Sapporo becomes first city in Japan to recognize same-sex partnerships
The Japanese city of Sapporo will become the first city in the country to recognize same-sex marriages, NewNowNext reports.
In Japan, law defines marriage as between a man and woman, however, gay couples may soon be given legal protections for their relationships.
Back in 2015, Tokyo’s Shibuya district announced that it would allow same-sex couples to have a Proof of Partnership certificate which gave the couple protections for housing, hospital visitations and more.
Other districts of Tokyo, along with municipalities including Iga, Takarazuka and Naha have all followed suit.
Sapporo however, will be Japan’s first city to give same-sex couples legal rights as well as recognize the relationships of non-binary people.
In order to obtain a partnership certificate, applicants over 20 will need to be residents of Sapporo. Both partners are also required to say they are “sexual minorities who recognize each other as a life partner and promise to cooperate with each other economically, physically and mentally in their daily life.”
Akitsugu Kuwaki, a professor at Tokyo’s Meiji University, lobbied for the rights and is an organizing member of the Rainbow March Sapporo which began in 1996.
Kuwaki hopes that the draft will improve the lives of “sexual minorities.”
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