In Tokyo, same-sex couples can now obtain partnership certificates
The city of Tokyo has taken a small but nevertheless important step towards equality. Gay and lesbian couples in particular will benefit from this. Now it will be possible to apply for so-called partnership certificates. And even if this is not a complete equality with marriage, many people see this as a particularly positive development in the right direction.
This is because such a partnership certificate is associated with numerous advantages that those affected have had to do without up to now. Among other things, it will make it easier for them to find a place to live on the basis of a corresponding certificate. There will also be improvements with regard to various social benefits. This means that in the relevant areas, the couples will be treated like couples living in a hetero marriage.
Unfortunately, a look at the details shows that there are still one or two "construction sites". But the partnership document is a start.
Queers in Japan don't always have it easy
Even if the situation for queers in Japan has improved over time, it would definitely be wrong to assume that complete equality prevails in the country. Now it remains to be seen whether other larger cities will follow Tokyo's example and follow suit. After all, there are many cities in the country where queers are discriminated against in different ways.
Many of those affected do not want to settle for being excluded from society. In some cases, they even take their rights to court - sometimes with more, sometimes with less success. One particular point of contention in this context is marriage for all. And due to the fact that the decision-makers in the individual cities of Japan sometimes oppose each other with completely different opinions, the probability that a nationwide decision will be reached quickly is very low.
More and more people are campaigning for the ban on marriage for all in Japan to be lifted
The statement that is established about the Japanese constitution is clear. Here, marriage is seen as an institution that exists between two sexes. From this, it follows that same-sex couples are forbidden to marry. This also means that they are not allowed to inherit their partner's property, nor are they officially (and legally) considered the father or mother of a child raised together.
However, more and more people are realizing that due to the ban on marriage for all, the situation is getting worse for numerous queers in the country. Those affected are marginalized and face various kinds of hostility again and again.
The new possibilities that come with the partnership document are already being well received. Quite a few documents of this kind have already been applied for.
In this context, it is of course particularly interesting that people in rural Japan deal with homosexuality completely differently than people in the city. Particularly in the larger cities, such as Tokyo, society has become much more open over time - also with regard to marriage for all. In the countryside, however, homosexual people are often still considered "sick." Not only many queers in the country, but also many representatives of the international community, would like to see a general solution for Japan and an abolition of the "patchwork". Perhaps, however, the introduction of the partnership certificates is exactly the "detail" that makes other cities and regions give in.
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