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Japan is the only Group of Seven nation without legal protection
for same-sex unions. Although backed by 70% of the public, they
are opposed by the conservative Liberal Democratic Party of
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Japanese civil code rules that limit marriage to those of
opposite sexes are "unconstitutional" and "discriminatory", the
Sapporo High Court said in its ruling, but dismissed the
plaintiffs' claim for damages from the government.
"Enacting same-sex marriage does not seem to cause disadvantages
or harmful effects," the court said.
"I thought the ruling might be a conservative one, but it ended
up exceeding my expectations," one plaintiff, who did not
disclose his name, told reporters after the ruling. "I couldn't
help but cry."
The plaintiffs are considering appealing to the Supreme Court to
clarify the unconstitutionality of existing law, lawyer
Tsunamori Fumiyasu told a press conference.
The government will keep its eye on other upcoming court
decisions on the matter, its top spokesperson, Yoshimasa
Hayashi, told a press conference.
The debate on the same-sex bar has split lower courts, with one
district court holding the bar to be constitutional but others
saying it is unconstitutional in varying degrees.
Earlier on Thursday, a ruling by the Tokyo district court
described the lack of same-sex marriage status in Japan as "a
state of unconstitutionality", employing language less strong
than in some past rulings on such lawsuits.
(Reporting by Sakura Murakami and Kantaro Komiya; Editing by
Jacqueline Wong and Clarence Fernandez)
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