🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 84 (from laksa160)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa084.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/world/asia/japan-gay-marriage.html\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/world/asia/japan-gay-marriage.html\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/03\/17\/world\/asia\/japan-gay-marriage.html","crawl_time":1770640459,"first_indexed_time":1615969840,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,nytimes!www,\/2021\/03\/17\/world\/asia\/japan-gay-marriage.html s443","src_root_hash":"4566504020376537684","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Japan Court Backs Same-Sex Marriage. Laws Still Block It. - The New York Times","meta_descriptions":["A court found that it was unconstitutional for the country not to recognize the unions. But change would come only if Parliament passes legislation."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Advertisement\nSKIP ADVERTISEMENT\nA court found that it was unconstitutional for the country not to recognize the unions. But change would come only if Parliament passes legislation.\nSupporters of same-sex marriage outside the court in Sapporo, Japan, on Wednesday. The court handed the plaintiffs a victory but denied them damages.\nCredit...\nJiji Press, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\nMarch 17, 2021\nTOKYO — A Japanese court on Wednesday ruled that the country’s failure to recognize same-sex marriages was unconstitutional, a landmark decision that could be an important step toward legalizing the unions across the nation.\nThe ruling, handed down by a district court in the northern city of Sapporo, came in a civil suit against the Japanese government by three same-sex couples. The lack of recognition of their unions, they said, had unfairly cut them off from services and benefits accorded to married couples, and they sought damages of around $9,000 per person.\nThe couples argued that the government’s failure to recognize same-sex unions violated the constitutional guarantee of equality under the law and the prohibition against discrimination regardless of sex.\nThe court agreed, writing in its decision that laws or regulations that deprived gay couples of the legal benefits of marriage constituted “discriminatory treatment without a rational basis.”\nBut the court declined to award the couples damages, making a somewhat convoluted argument that the government could not be held liable because the issue of same-sex marriage had only recently entered Japan’s public discourse.\nAlexander Dmitrenko, a Canadian lawyer and resident of Tokyo who leads a nonprofit group advocating marriage equality, called the declaration of unconstitutionality “a remarkable and unique achievement,” saying that Japan’s courts are typically deferential to lawmakers.\n“In the eyes of the Japanese public, this decision should underscore that gay and lesbian couples are not treated equally in Japan,” he said.\nThe ruling will not, however, change the law. Same-sex marriages will be recognized in Japan only if Parliament enacts legislation, Mr. Dmitrenko said. Lawmakers have repeatedly declined to take up such a bill.\nStill, activists saw the court’s decision as an important step in tearing down barriers to normalizing gay marriage in Japan, the only country in the Group of 7 nations that has not legalized same-sex unions.\nThe unions are not explicitly banned in Japan, but they are not recognized by the national government or most localities. In recent years, some local governments have moved to provide gay couples with certificates acknowledging their marriage, but the documents have little legal or practical value.\nNational authorities have long argued that their position is supported by a provision in the country’s constitution that stipulates marriage can occur only with the consent of both sexes, a provision that was intended to stop Japan’s once common practice of arranged marriages.\nThe Japanese public remains divided in its attitudes on the subject. On one hand, the idea of same-sex marriage enjoys broad popular support. In a 2019 poll by the advertising giant Dentsu,\nalmost 80 percent\nof respondents 60 and under said they supported the unions.\nEven the country’s notoriously rigid business community has begun to embrace the notion of marriage equality, marketing products to gay couples and improving protections for employees.\nOn the individual level, however, many gay people are still hesitant to come out because of fears of discrimination from a society that is infamous for its often intense pressure to conform.\nFor the plaintiffs, Wednesday morning was an emotional roller coaster. The first headlines about the decision highlighted the court’s rejection of the compensation claims, provoking a moment of deep anxiety, one of the plaintiffs, Ryosuke Kunimi, told a news conference later in the day.\nBut when he saw the rest of the decision, he said, “I couldn’t stop my tears.”\nSame-sex couples have long felt that “discrimination was natural, that there was nothing we could do about it,” he said, adding that the court decision clearly showed “that’s not true.”\nThe couples filed their suit in February 2019 as part of a broader national campaign to pressure the Japanese government into recognizing same-sex marriage. An additional 10 couples filed similar suits on the same day in three other courts across the country, and another couple later filed a similar suit in the city of Fukuoka. Rulings in those cases are expected later this year.\nWednesday’s ruling is likely to have a positive impact on the outcomes of those cases, Takeharu Kato, one of the lawyers representing the couples, told reporters.\nThe other suits were argued using nearly identical language to the one heard in Sapporo, he said, adding that “naturally, we will submit the ruling to other courts as evidence.”\nIn the meantime, the plaintiffs’ legal team plans to appeal the court’s decision to deny compensation, Mr. Kato said, adding that “we want to keep up pressure on the government.”\nWhile the couples said they were pleased by Wednesday’s decision, they voiced caution about the road ahead. The ruling may face legal challenges. Ultimately, they will need Parliament to drop its longstanding opposition.\nCampaigners will continue pursuing the case “until the Supreme Court,” said Makiko Terahara, a director of Marriage for All Japan, a nonprofit organization that has taken the lead on the marriage equality cases.\nAt the same time, she said, the campaign will step up pressure on Parliament “to amend the law to allow same-sex marriage as soon as possible.”\nLawmakers “are obligated to respect the Constitution,” Ms. Terahara added. They “cannot allow the current situation, which is clearly in violation of the Constitution, to continue.”\nBen Dooley\nreports on Japan’s business and economy, with a special interest in social issues and the intersections between business and politics.\nHisako Ueno\nhas been reporting on Japanese politics, business, gender, labor and culture for The Times since 2012. She previously worked for the Tokyo bureau of The Los Angeles Times from 1999 to 2009.\nA version of this article appears in print on\nMarch 18, 2021\n, Section A, Page 10 of the New York edition with the headline: Lower Court’s Ruling Opens Door for Same-Sex Marriage in Japan\n.\nOrder Reprints\n|\nToday’s Paper\n|\nSubscribe\nRelated Content\nMore in Asia Pacific\nThe New York Times\nIntermediate Peoples' Court of Dalian, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\nImage by Mizuki Sakai\/Kyodo News, via Associated Press\nPrakash Mathema\/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\nEditors’ Picks\nIllustration by Tomi Um\nNetflix\nTrending in The Times\nStephen Lam\/Reuters\nDeSean McClinton-Holland for The New York Times\nKena Betancur\/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\nKelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.\nCharlotte Coppin for The New York Times\nAlain Hamel\nFred Squillante\/Columbus Dispatch, via USA Today Network\nBen Wiseman\nLoren Elliott for The New York Times\nGeorge Walker IV\/Associated Press\nAdvertisement\nSKIP ADVERTISEMENT","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to content](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/03\/17\/world\/asia\/japan-gay-marriage.html#site-content)[Skip to site index](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/03\/17\/world\/asia\/japan-gay-marriage.html#site-index)\n\nSearch & Section Navigation\n\nSection Navigation\n\nSearch\n\n[Asia Pacific](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/world\/asia)\n\n[Log in](https:\/\/myaccount.nytimes.com\/auth\/login?response_type=cookie&client_id=vi&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fsubscription%2Fonboarding-offer%3FcampaignId%3D7JFJX%26EXIT_URI%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.nytimes.com%252F2021%252F03%252F17%252Fworld%252Fasia%252Fjapan-gay-marriage.html&asset=masthead)\n\nMonday, February 9, 2026\n\n[Today’s Paper](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/todayspaper)\n\n[Asia Pacific](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/world\/asia)\\|Landmark Ruling Cracks Door Open for Same-Sex Marriage in Japan\n\nhttps:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/03\/17\/world\/asia\/japan-gay-marriage.html\n\n- Share full article\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/03\/17\/world\/asia\/japan-gay-marriage.html#after-top)\n\nSupported by\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/03\/17\/world\/asia\/japan-gay-marriage.html#after-sponsor)\n# Landmark Ruling Cracks Door Open for Same-Sex Marriage in Japan\nA court found that it was unconstitutional for the country not to recognize the unions. But change would come only if Parliament passes legislation.\n\n- Share full article\n\n![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2021\/03\/17\/world\/17japan-marriage-1\/merlin_185142024_5ee43cf4-9a0b-429a-9d95-316c2e47a41e-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n\nSupporters of same-sex marriage outside the court in Sapporo, Japan, on Wednesday. The court handed the plaintiffs a victory but denied them damages.Credit...Jiji Press, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\n\n[![Ben Dooley](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2019\/09\/16\/reader-center\/author-ben-dooley\/author-ben-dooley-thumbLarge.png)](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/ben-dooley)[![Hisako Ueno](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2021\/03\/01\/reader-center\/author-hisako-ueno\/author-hisako-ueno-thumbLarge.png)](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/hisako-ueno)\n\nBy [Ben Dooley](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/ben-dooley) and [Hisako Ueno](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/hisako-ueno)\n\nMarch 17, 2021\n\nTOKYO — A Japanese court on Wednesday ruled that the country’s failure to recognize same-sex marriages was unconstitutional, a landmark decision that could be an important step toward legalizing the unions across the nation.\n\nThe ruling, handed down by a district court in the northern city of Sapporo, came in a civil suit against the Japanese government by three same-sex couples. The lack of recognition of their unions, they said, had unfairly cut them off from services and benefits accorded to married couples, and they sought damages of around \\$9,000 per person.\n\nThe couples argued that the government’s failure to recognize same-sex unions violated the constitutional guarantee of equality under the law and the prohibition against discrimination regardless of sex.\n\nThe court agreed, writing in its decision that laws or regulations that deprived gay couples of the legal benefits of marriage constituted “discriminatory treatment without a rational basis.”\n\nBut the court declined to award the couples damages, making a somewhat convoluted argument that the government could not be held liable because the issue of same-sex marriage had only recently entered Japan’s public discourse.\n\nAlexander Dmitrenko, a Canadian lawyer and resident of Tokyo who leads a nonprofit group advocating marriage equality, called the declaration of unconstitutionality “a remarkable and unique achievement,” saying that Japan’s courts are typically deferential to lawmakers.\n\n“In the eyes of the Japanese public, this decision should underscore that gay and lesbian couples are not treated equally in Japan,” he said.\n\nThe ruling will not, however, change the law. Same-sex marriages will be recognized in Japan only if Parliament enacts legislation, Mr. Dmitrenko said. Lawmakers have repeatedly declined to take up such a bill.\n\nStill, activists saw the court’s decision as an important step in tearing down barriers to normalizing gay marriage in Japan, the only country in the Group of 7 nations that has not legalized same-sex unions.\n\n## Editors’ Picks\n[![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/06\/business\/06biz-taxes-2026-mainart\/06biz-taxes-2026-mainart-thumbLarge.jpg)It’s Time to File Your 2025 Tax Return. Here’s What to Know.](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/06\/business\/2025-taxes-return-refund-income.html)\n\n[![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2021\/02\/10\/dining\/10Valentine-roundup-red-velvet-cupcakes\/merlin_183224016_5b6871e8-a39c-426b-9286-1f846cf49912-thumbLarge.jpg)24 Easy Valentine’s Day Recipes That Anyone Can Make](https:\/\/cooking.nytimes.com\/article\/easy-valentines-day-recipes)\n\n[![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/15\/arts\/15Myten-Miller\/15Myten-Miller--thumbLarge.jpg)This ‘Summer House’ Star Loves to Eat Like a Child](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/07\/arts\/television\/ciara-miller-summer-house-bravo.html)\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/03\/17\/world\/asia\/japan-gay-marriage.html#after-pp_edpick)\n\nThe unions are not explicitly banned in Japan, but they are not recognized by the national government or most localities. In recent years, some local governments have moved to provide gay couples with certificates acknowledging their marriage, but the documents have little legal or practical value.\n\nNational authorities have long argued that their position is supported by a provision in the country’s constitution that stipulates marriage can occur only with the consent of both sexes, a provision that was intended to stop Japan’s once common practice of arranged marriages.\n\nThe Japanese public remains divided in its attitudes on the subject. On one hand, the idea of same-sex marriage enjoys broad popular support. In a 2019 poll by the advertising giant Dentsu, [almost 80 percent](http:\/\/www.dentsu.com\/news\/release\/2019\/0110-009756.html) of respondents 60 and under said they supported the unions.\n\nEven the country’s notoriously rigid business community has begun to embrace the notion of marriage equality, marketing products to gay couples and improving protections for employees.\n\nOn the individual level, however, many gay people are still hesitant to come out because of fears of discrimination from a society that is infamous for its often intense pressure to conform.\n\nFor the plaintiffs, Wednesday morning was an emotional roller coaster. The first headlines about the decision highlighted the court’s rejection of the compensation claims, provoking a moment of deep anxiety, one of the plaintiffs, Ryosuke Kunimi, told a news conference later in the day.\n\nBut when he saw the rest of the decision, he said, “I couldn’t stop my tears.”\n\nSame-sex couples have long felt that “discrimination was natural, that there was nothing we could do about it,” he said, adding that the court decision clearly showed “that’s not true.”\n\nThe couples filed their suit in February 2019 as part of a broader national campaign to pressure the Japanese government into recognizing same-sex marriage. An additional 10 couples filed similar suits on the same day in three other courts across the country, and another couple later filed a similar suit in the city of Fukuoka. Rulings in those cases are expected later this year.\n\nWednesday’s ruling is likely to have a positive impact on the outcomes of those cases, Takeharu Kato, one of the lawyers representing the couples, told reporters.\n\nThe other suits were argued using nearly identical language to the one heard in Sapporo, he said, adding that “naturally, we will submit the ruling to other courts as evidence.”\n\nIn the meantime, the plaintiffs’ legal team plans to appeal the court’s decision to deny compensation, Mr. Kato said, adding that “we want to keep up pressure on the government.”\n\nWhile the couples said they were pleased by Wednesday’s decision, they voiced caution about the road ahead. The ruling may face legal challenges. Ultimately, they will need Parliament to drop its longstanding opposition.\n\nCampaigners will continue pursuing the case “until the Supreme Court,” said Makiko Terahara, a director of Marriage for All Japan, a nonprofit organization that has taken the lead on the marriage equality cases.\n\nAt the same time, she said, the campaign will step up pressure on Parliament “to amend the law to allow same-sex marriage as soon as possible.”\n\nLawmakers “are obligated to respect the Constitution,” Ms. Terahara added. They “cannot allow the current situation, which is clearly in violation of the Constitution, to continue.”\n\n[Ben Dooley](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/ben-dooley) reports on Japan’s business and economy, with a special interest in social issues and the intersections between business and politics.\n\n[Hisako Ueno](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/hisako-ueno) has been reporting on Japanese politics, business, gender, labor and culture for The Times since 2012. She previously worked for the Tokyo bureau of The Los Angeles Times from 1999 to 2009.\n\nA version of this article appears in print on March 18, 2021, Section A, Page 10 of the New York edition with the headline: Lower Court’s Ruling Opens Door for Same-Sex Marriage in Japan. [Order Reprints](https:\/\/nytimes.wrightsmedia.com\/) \\| [Today’s Paper](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/todayspaper) \\| [Subscribe](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscriptions\/Multiproduct\/lp8HYKU.html?campaignId=48JQY)\n\n- Share full article\n\n***\n## Around the World With The Times\n### Our reporters across the globe take you into the field.\n***\n- **China’s Disappearing Generals:** For three years, [Xi Jinping has been cleaning out the Chinese military elite](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2026\/02\/03\/world\/asia\/china-xi-military-purge.html), bringing high-level dismissals and disappearances to nearly every arm of the military.\n- **A Slice of Caracas in an Unlikely Spot:** Generations of migrants from a village on the coast of southern Italy found a better life in Venezuela. [Many came back and turned their town into a mini-Caracas](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/02\/world\/americas\/italy-marina-di-camerota-venezuela-migrants.html).\n- **South Korea’s Cram School Culture:** Academic pressure has become so intense that even preschoolers are taking private extracurricular classes, [raising worries about children’s rights](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/04\/world\/asia\/south-korea-cram-schools-childhood-stress.html).\n- **A Trail of Hunger and Death Behind U.S. Aid Cuts:** [Afghanistan has plunged deeper into a crisis](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/04\/world\/asia\/afghanistan-us-aid-cuts.html) marked by levels of child hunger unseen in 25 years and the closure of almost 450 health centers.\n\n## Related Content\n### [More in Asia Pacific](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/world\/asia)\n- [China Fails to Curb the ‘Secret Filming Betrayal’ of Women and Girls](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2026\/02\/01\/world\/asia\/telegram-china-women-sex-exploitation.html)\n  \n  ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/01\/13\/multimedia\/2025-10-21-china-telegram-index\/2025-10-21-china-telegram-index-square640-v3.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  The New York Times\n- [China Reverses Death Sentence for Canadian in a Small Win for Carney](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/06\/world\/asia\/china-canada-death-sentence-overturned.html)\n  \n  ![Robert Lloyd Schellenberg in 2019 during his retrial on drug-trafficking charges in a court in Dalian, China.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/06\/multimedia\/06int-china-canada-phfb\/06int-china-canada-phfb-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Intermediate Peoples' Court of Dalian, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\n- [At Least 30 Dead After Weeks of Heavy Snowfall in Japan](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/03\/world\/asia\/japan-snow-deaths.html)\n  \n  ![The Tottori Sand Dunes in Tottori, Japan, last month.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/03\/multimedia\/03xp-japan-hkbp\/03xp-japan-hkbp-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Image by Mizuki Sakai\/Kyodo News, via Associated Press\n- [Nepal Arrests 6 Officials, Accusing Them of Fraudulent Everest Rescues](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/03\/world\/asia\/mount-everest-helicopter-insurance-fraud.html)\n  \n  ![A helicopter flying over the Khumbu glacier near Mount Everest. The authorities in Nepal said rescue agencies carried out hundreds of fraudulent rescues. ](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/03\/multimedia\/03xp-nepal1-hzbt\/03xp-nepal1-hzbt-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Prakash Mathema\/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\n\n### Editors’ Picks\n- [My Cousin Is About to Become Homeless. How Much Should I Give Up for Him?](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/07\/magazine\/cousin-homeless-ethics.html)\n  \n  ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/14\/magazine\/14mag-ethicist\/14mag-ethicist-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Illustration by Tomi Um\n- [‘Bridgerton’ Tackles the Orgasm Gap](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/04\/well\/bridgerton-orgasm-pinnacle.html)\n  \n  ![Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) and Lord John Stirling (Victor Alli) are navigating a challenging issue with intimacy in the latest season of ‘Bridgerton,’ which was released last week.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/03\/well\/WELL-BRIDGERTON-ORGASM-GAP1\/WELL-BRIDGERTON-ORGASM-GAP1-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Netflix\n\n### Trending in The Times\n- [San Francisco Teachers Walk Out for the First Time Since 1979](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/09\/us\/san-francisco-teachers-strike.html)\n  \n  ![San Francisco teachers went on strike Monday for the first time since 1979. The walkout has no end date.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/09\/multimedia\/09nat-sf-schools-jgtk\/09nat-sf-schools-jgtk-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Stephen Lam\/Reuters\n- [Good Times for Goodwill as Shoppers Hunt for Bargains](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/09\/nyregion\/goodwill-nynj-bargain-shopping.html)\n  \n  ![Goodwill NYNJ in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/09\/multimedia\/09nytoday-goodwill-tqlf\/09nytoday-goodwill-tqlf-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  DeSean McClinton-Holland for The New York Times\n- [Respite From Wind-Driven, Bone-Chilling Cold Weather Is in Sight](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/09\/us\/extreme-cold-weather-northeast.html)\n  \n  ![A couple near the frozen waters of the Hudson River in New York on Sunday. Forecasters said Sunday was likely to be the last very cold night for some time.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/09\/multimedia\/09xp-chill-gfjc\/09xp-chill-gfjc-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Kena Betancur\/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\n- [This George Washington Cherry Story Is Actually True](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/09\/dining\/george-washington-cherry-tree.html)\n  \n  ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/09\/multimedia\/09FD-Cherry-1-wbql\/09FD-Cherry-1-wbql-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.\n- [The New Fabio Is Claude](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/08\/business\/ai-claude-romance-books.html)\n  \n  ![The author Coral Hart has become an evangelist for A.I.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/08\/multimedia\/08biz-AI-romance-qlth\/08biz-AI-romance-qlth-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Charlotte Coppin for The New York Times\n- [Record-Breaking 244-Pound Atlantic Halibut Caught in Quebec](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/video\/world\/canada\/100000010695717\/record-atlantic-halibut-fishing-quebec.html)\n  \n  ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/06\/world\/canada\/Halibut_Thumb_v5\/Halibut_Thumb_v5-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Alain Hamel\n- [‘Gang Stuff’ and ‘Illicit Trysts’: How Epstein Sought Leverage With the Wealthy](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/06\/us\/jeffrey-epstein-leverage.html)\n  \n  ![Leslie Wexner, the retail billionaire behind Victoria’s Secret, was one of Jeffrey Epstein’s most important clients.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/04\/multimedia\/00inv-epstein-wexner-qgtz\/00inv-epstein-wexner-qgtz-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Fred Squillante\/Columbus Dispatch, via USA Today Network\n- [Opinion: The Glorious Spectacle of a Republican Gone Rogue](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/09\/opinion\/melania-trump-tillis-noem.html)\n  \n  ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/09\/opinion\/09bruni-newsletter-image\/09bruni-newsletter-image-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Ben Wiseman\n- [Can Mountain Lions Survive as Humans Close In?California Is Trying to Find a Way.](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/09\/climate\/california-mountain-lions.html)\n  \n  ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/06\/multimedia\/06cli-mountain-lions-stillpromo\/06cli-mountain-lions-stillpromo-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Loren Elliott for The New York Times\n- [Kennedy Makes Unfounded Claim That Keto Diet Can ‘Cure’ Schizophrenia](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/05\/us\/politics\/kennedy-keto-diet-schizophrenia.html)\n  \n  ![Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in Nashville on Wednesday. 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Navigation\n- [© 2026 The New York Times Company](https:\/\/help.nytimes.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/115014792127-Copyright-Notice)\n\n- [NYTCo](https:\/\/www.nytco.com\/)\n- [Contact Us](https:\/\/help.nytimes.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/115015385887-Contact-The-New-York-Times)\n- [Accessibility](https:\/\/help.nytimes.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/115015727108-Accessibility)\n- [Work with us](https:\/\/www.nytco.com\/careers\/)\n- [Advertise](https:\/\/advertising.nytimes.com\/)\n- [T Brand Studio](https:\/\/advertising.nytimes.com\/custom-content\/)\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/help.nytimes.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/10940941449492-The-New-York-Times-Company-Privacy-Policy)\n- [Cookie Policy](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/privacy\/cookie-policy)\n- [Terms of Service](https:\/\/help.nytimes.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/115014893428-Terms-of-Service)\n- [Terms of Sale](https:\/\/help.nytimes.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/115014893968-Terms-of-Sale)\n- [Site Map](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/sitemap\/)\n- 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But change would come only if Parliament passes legislation.\n\n![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2021\/03\/17\/world\/17japan-marriage-1\/merlin_185142024_5ee43cf4-9a0b-429a-9d95-316c2e47a41e-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n\nSupporters of same-sex marriage outside the court in Sapporo, Japan, on Wednesday. The court handed the plaintiffs a victory but denied them damages.Credit...Jiji Press, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\n\nMarch 17, 2021\n\nTOKYO — A Japanese court on Wednesday ruled that the country’s failure to recognize same-sex marriages was unconstitutional, a landmark decision that could be an important step toward legalizing the unions across the nation.\n\nThe ruling, handed down by a district court in the northern city of Sapporo, came in a civil suit against the Japanese government by three same-sex couples. The lack of recognition of their unions, they said, had unfairly cut them off from services and benefits accorded to married couples, and they sought damages of around \\$9,000 per person.\n\nThe couples argued that the government’s failure to recognize same-sex unions violated the constitutional guarantee of equality under the law and the prohibition against discrimination regardless of sex.\n\nThe court agreed, writing in its decision that laws or regulations that deprived gay couples of the legal benefits of marriage constituted “discriminatory treatment without a rational basis.”\n\nBut the court declined to award the couples damages, making a somewhat convoluted argument that the government could not be held liable because the issue of same-sex marriage had only recently entered Japan’s public discourse.\n\nAlexander Dmitrenko, a Canadian lawyer and resident of Tokyo who leads a nonprofit group advocating marriage equality, called the declaration of unconstitutionality “a remarkable and unique achievement,” saying that Japan’s courts are typically deferential to lawmakers.\n\n“In the eyes of the Japanese public, this decision should underscore that gay and lesbian couples are not treated equally in Japan,” he said.\n\nThe ruling will not, however, change the law. Same-sex marriages will be recognized in Japan only if Parliament enacts legislation, Mr. Dmitrenko said. Lawmakers have repeatedly declined to take up such a bill.\n\nStill, activists saw the court’s decision as an important step in tearing down barriers to normalizing gay marriage in Japan, the only country in the Group of 7 nations that has not legalized same-sex unions.\n\nThe unions are not explicitly banned in Japan, but they are not recognized by the national government or most localities. In recent years, some local governments have moved to provide gay couples with certificates acknowledging their marriage, but the documents have little legal or practical value.\n\nNational authorities have long argued that their position is supported by a provision in the country’s constitution that stipulates marriage can occur only with the consent of both sexes, a provision that was intended to stop Japan’s once common practice of arranged marriages.\n\nThe Japanese public remains divided in its attitudes on the subject. On one hand, the idea of same-sex marriage enjoys broad popular support. In a 2019 poll by the advertising giant Dentsu, [almost 80 percent](http:\/\/www.dentsu.com\/news\/release\/2019\/0110-009756.html) of respondents 60 and under said they supported the unions.\n\nEven the country’s notoriously rigid business community has begun to embrace the notion of marriage equality, marketing products to gay couples and improving protections for employees.\n\nOn the individual level, however, many gay people are still hesitant to come out because of fears of discrimination from a society that is infamous for its often intense pressure to conform.\n\nFor the plaintiffs, Wednesday morning was an emotional roller coaster. The first headlines about the decision highlighted the court’s rejection of the compensation claims, provoking a moment of deep anxiety, one of the plaintiffs, Ryosuke Kunimi, told a news conference later in the day.\n\nBut when he saw the rest of the decision, he said, “I couldn’t stop my tears.”\n\nSame-sex couples have long felt that “discrimination was natural, that there was nothing we could do about it,” he said, adding that the court decision clearly showed “that’s not true.”\n\nThe couples filed their suit in February 2019 as part of a broader national campaign to pressure the Japanese government into recognizing same-sex marriage. An additional 10 couples filed similar suits on the same day in three other courts across the country, and another couple later filed a similar suit in the city of Fukuoka. Rulings in those cases are expected later this year.\n\nWednesday’s ruling is likely to have a positive impact on the outcomes of those cases, Takeharu Kato, one of the lawyers representing the couples, told reporters.\n\nThe other suits were argued using nearly identical language to the one heard in Sapporo, he said, adding that “naturally, we will submit the ruling to other courts as evidence.”\n\nIn the meantime, the plaintiffs’ legal team plans to appeal the court’s decision to deny compensation, Mr. Kato said, adding that “we want to keep up pressure on the government.”\n\nWhile the couples said they were pleased by Wednesday’s decision, they voiced caution about the road ahead. The ruling may face legal challenges. Ultimately, they will need Parliament to drop its longstanding opposition.\n\nCampaigners will continue pursuing the case “until the Supreme Court,” said Makiko Terahara, a director of Marriage for All Japan, a nonprofit organization that has taken the lead on the marriage equality cases.\n\nAt the same time, she said, the campaign will step up pressure on Parliament “to amend the law to allow same-sex marriage as soon as possible.”\n\nLawmakers “are obligated to respect the Constitution,” Ms. Terahara added. They “cannot allow the current situation, which is clearly in violation of the Constitution, to continue.”\n\n[Ben Dooley](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/ben-dooley) reports on Japan’s business and economy, with a special interest in social issues and the intersections between business and politics.\n\n[Hisako Ueno](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/hisako-ueno) has been reporting on Japanese politics, business, gender, labor and culture for The Times since 2012. She previously worked for the Tokyo bureau of The Los Angeles Times from 1999 to 2009.\n\nA version of this article appears in print on March 18, 2021, Section A, Page 10 of the New York edition with the headline: Lower Court’s Ruling Opens Door for Same-Sex Marriage in Japan. [Order Reprints](https:\/\/nytimes.wrightsmedia.com\/) \\| [Today’s Paper](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/todayspaper) \\| [Subscribe](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscriptions\/Multiproduct\/lp8HYKU.html?campaignId=48JQY)\n\n## Related Content\n[More in Asia Pacific](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/world\/asia)\n\n- ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/01\/13\/multimedia\/2025-10-21-china-telegram-index\/2025-10-21-china-telegram-index-square640-v3.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  The New York Times\n- ![Robert Lloyd Schellenberg in 2019 during his retrial on drug-trafficking charges in a court in Dalian, China.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/06\/multimedia\/06int-china-canada-phfb\/06int-china-canada-phfb-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Intermediate Peoples' Court of Dalian, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\n- ![The Tottori Sand Dunes in Tottori, Japan, last month.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/03\/multimedia\/03xp-japan-hkbp\/03xp-japan-hkbp-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Image by Mizuki Sakai\/Kyodo News, via Associated Press\n- ![A helicopter flying over the Khumbu glacier near Mount Everest. The authorities in Nepal said rescue agencies carried out hundreds of fraudulent rescues. ](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/03\/multimedia\/03xp-nepal1-hzbt\/03xp-nepal1-hzbt-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Prakash Mathema\/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\n\nEditors’ Picks\n\n- ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/14\/magazine\/14mag-ethicist\/14mag-ethicist-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Illustration by Tomi Um\n- ![Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) and Lord John Stirling (Victor Alli) are navigating a challenging issue with intimacy in the latest season of ‘Bridgerton,’ which was released last week.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/03\/well\/WELL-BRIDGERTON-ORGASM-GAP1\/WELL-BRIDGERTON-ORGASM-GAP1-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Netflix\n\nTrending in The Times\n\n- ![San Francisco teachers went on strike Monday for the first time since 1979. The walkout has no end date.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/09\/multimedia\/09nat-sf-schools-jgtk\/09nat-sf-schools-jgtk-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Stephen Lam\/Reuters\n- ![Goodwill NYNJ in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/09\/multimedia\/09nytoday-goodwill-tqlf\/09nytoday-goodwill-tqlf-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  DeSean McClinton-Holland for The New York Times\n- ![A couple near the frozen waters of the Hudson River in New York on Sunday. Forecasters said Sunday was likely to be the last very cold night for some time.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/09\/multimedia\/09xp-chill-gfjc\/09xp-chill-gfjc-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Kena Betancur\/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\n- ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/09\/multimedia\/09FD-Cherry-1-wbql\/09FD-Cherry-1-wbql-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.\n- ![The author Coral Hart has become an evangelist for A.I.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/08\/multimedia\/08biz-AI-romance-qlth\/08biz-AI-romance-qlth-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Charlotte Coppin for The New York Times\n- ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/06\/world\/canada\/Halibut_Thumb_v5\/Halibut_Thumb_v5-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Alain Hamel\n- ![Leslie Wexner, the retail billionaire behind Victoria’s Secret, was one of Jeffrey Epstein’s most important clients.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/04\/multimedia\/00inv-epstein-wexner-qgtz\/00inv-epstein-wexner-qgtz-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Fred Squillante\/Columbus Dispatch, via USA Today Network\n- ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/09\/opinion\/09bruni-newsletter-image\/09bruni-newsletter-image-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Ben Wiseman\n- ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/06\/multimedia\/06cli-mountain-lions-stillpromo\/06cli-mountain-lions-stillpromo-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Loren Elliott for The New York Times\n- ![Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in Nashville on Wednesday. Mr. Kennedy has a history of promoting ideas with little to no scientific evidence to back them up.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/05\/multimedia\/05dc-rfk-keto-photo-khmv\/05dc-rfk-keto-photo-khmv-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  George Walker IV\/Associated Press\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/03\/17\/world\/asia\/japan-gay-marriage.html#after-bottom)","meta_canonical":null}

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URL	https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/world/asia/japan-gay-marriage.html
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Meta Title	Japan Court Backs Same-Sex Marriage. Laws Still Block It. - The New York Times
Meta Description	A court found that it was unconstitutional for the country not to recognize the unions. But change would come only if Parliament passes legislation.
Meta Canonical	null
Boilerpipe Text	Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT A court found that it was unconstitutional for the country not to recognize the unions. But change would come only if Parliament passes legislation. Supporters of same-sex marriage outside the court in Sapporo, Japan, on Wednesday. The court handed the plaintiffs a victory but denied them damages. Credit... Jiji Press, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images March 17, 2021 TOKYO — A Japanese court on Wednesday ruled that the country’s failure to recognize same-sex marriages was unconstitutional, a landmark decision that could be an important step toward legalizing the unions across the nation. The ruling, handed down by a district court in the northern city of Sapporo, came in a civil suit against the Japanese government by three same-sex couples. The lack of recognition of their unions, they said, had unfairly cut them off from services and benefits accorded to married couples, and they sought damages of around $9,000 per person. The couples argued that the government’s failure to recognize same-sex unions violated the constitutional guarantee of equality under the law and the prohibition against discrimination regardless of sex. The court agreed, writing in its decision that laws or regulations that deprived gay couples of the legal benefits of marriage constituted “discriminatory treatment without a rational basis.” But the court declined to award the couples damages, making a somewhat convoluted argument that the government could not be held liable because the issue of same-sex marriage had only recently entered Japan’s public discourse. Alexander Dmitrenko, a Canadian lawyer and resident of Tokyo who leads a nonprofit group advocating marriage equality, called the declaration of unconstitutionality “a remarkable and unique achievement,” saying that Japan’s courts are typically deferential to lawmakers. “In the eyes of the Japanese public, this decision should underscore that gay and lesbian couples are not treated equally in Japan,” he said. The ruling will not, however, change the law. Same-sex marriages will be recognized in Japan only if Parliament enacts legislation, Mr. Dmitrenko said. Lawmakers have repeatedly declined to take up such a bill. Still, activists saw the court’s decision as an important step in tearing down barriers to normalizing gay marriage in Japan, the only country in the Group of 7 nations that has not legalized same-sex unions. The unions are not explicitly banned in Japan, but they are not recognized by the national government or most localities. In recent years, some local governments have moved to provide gay couples with certificates acknowledging their marriage, but the documents have little legal or practical value. National authorities have long argued that their position is supported by a provision in the country’s constitution that stipulates marriage can occur only with the consent of both sexes, a provision that was intended to stop Japan’s once common practice of arranged marriages. The Japanese public remains divided in its attitudes on the subject. On one hand, the idea of same-sex marriage enjoys broad popular support. In a 2019 poll by the advertising giant Dentsu, almost 80 percent of respondents 60 and under said they supported the unions. Even the country’s notoriously rigid business community has begun to embrace the notion of marriage equality, marketing products to gay couples and improving protections for employees. On the individual level, however, many gay people are still hesitant to come out because of fears of discrimination from a society that is infamous for its often intense pressure to conform. For the plaintiffs, Wednesday morning was an emotional roller coaster. The first headlines about the decision highlighted the court’s rejection of the compensation claims, provoking a moment of deep anxiety, one of the plaintiffs, Ryosuke Kunimi, told a news conference later in the day. But when he saw the rest of the decision, he said, “I couldn’t stop my tears.” Same-sex couples have long felt that “discrimination was natural, that there was nothing we could do about it,” he said, adding that the court decision clearly showed “that’s not true.” The couples filed their suit in February 2019 as part of a broader national campaign to pressure the Japanese government into recognizing same-sex marriage. An additional 10 couples filed similar suits on the same day in three other courts across the country, and another couple later filed a similar suit in the city of Fukuoka. Rulings in those cases are expected later this year. Wednesday’s ruling is likely to have a positive impact on the outcomes of those cases, Takeharu Kato, one of the lawyers representing the couples, told reporters. The other suits were argued using nearly identical language to the one heard in Sapporo, he said, adding that “naturally, we will submit the ruling to other courts as evidence.” In the meantime, the plaintiffs’ legal team plans to appeal the court’s decision to deny compensation, Mr. Kato said, adding that “we want to keep up pressure on the government.” While the couples said they were pleased by Wednesday’s decision, they voiced caution about the road ahead. The ruling may face legal challenges. Ultimately, they will need Parliament to drop its longstanding opposition. Campaigners will continue pursuing the case “until the Supreme Court,” said Makiko Terahara, a director of Marriage for All Japan, a nonprofit organization that has taken the lead on the marriage equality cases. At the same time, she said, the campaign will step up pressure on Parliament “to amend the law to allow same-sex marriage as soon as possible.” Lawmakers “are obligated to respect the Constitution,” Ms. Terahara added. They “cannot allow the current situation, which is clearly in violation of the Constitution, to continue.” Ben Dooley reports on Japan’s business and economy, with a special interest in social issues and the intersections between business and politics. Hisako Ueno has been reporting on Japanese politics, business, gender, labor and culture for The Times since 2012. She previously worked for the Tokyo bureau of The Los Angeles Times from 1999 to 2009. A version of this article appears in print on March 18, 2021 , Section A, Page 10 of the New York edition with the headline: Lower Court’s Ruling Opens Door for Same-Sex Marriage in Japan . Order Reprints \| Today’s Paper \| Subscribe Related Content More in Asia Pacific The New York Times Intermediate Peoples' Court of Dalian, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Image by Mizuki Sakai/Kyodo News, via Associated Press Prakash Mathema/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Editors’ Picks Illustration by Tomi Um Netflix Trending in The Times Stephen Lam/Reuters DeSean McClinton-Holland for The New York Times Kena Betancur/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks. Charlotte Coppin for The New York Times Alain Hamel Fred Squillante/Columbus Dispatch, via USA Today Network Ben Wiseman Loren Elliott for The New York Times George Walker IV/Associated Press Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
Markdown	[Skip to content](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/world/asia/japan-gay-marriage.html#site-content)[Skip to site index](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/world/asia/japan-gay-marriage.html#site-index) Search & Section Navigation Section Navigation Search [Asia Pacific](https://www.nytimes.com/section/world/asia) [Log in](https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?response_type=cookie&client_id=vi&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fsubscription%2Fonboarding-offer%3FcampaignId%3D7JFJX%26EXIT_URI%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.nytimes.com%252F2021%252F03%252F17%252Fworld%252Fasia%252Fjapan-gay-marriage.html&asset=masthead) Monday, February 9, 2026 [Today’s Paper](https://www.nytimes.com/section/todayspaper) [Asia Pacific](https://www.nytimes.com/section/world/asia)\\|Landmark Ruling Cracks Door Open for Same-Sex Marriage in Japan https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/world/asia/japan-gay-marriage.html - Share full article Advertisement [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/world/asia/japan-gay-marriage.html#after-top) Supported by [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/world/asia/japan-gay-marriage.html#after-sponsor) # Landmark Ruling Cracks Door Open for Same-Sex Marriage in Japan A court found that it was unconstitutional for the country not to recognize the unions. But change would come only if Parliament passes legislation. - Share full article ![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/03/17/world/17japan-marriage-1/merlin_185142024_5ee43cf4-9a0b-429a-9d95-316c2e47a41e-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Supporters of same-sex marriage outside the court in Sapporo, Japan, on Wednesday. The court handed the plaintiffs a victory but denied them damages.Credit...Jiji Press, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images [![Ben Dooley](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2019/09/16/reader-center/author-ben-dooley/author-ben-dooley-thumbLarge.png)](https://www.nytimes.com/by/ben-dooley)[![Hisako Ueno](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/03/01/reader-center/author-hisako-ueno/author-hisako-ueno-thumbLarge.png)](https://www.nytimes.com/by/hisako-ueno) By [Ben Dooley](https://www.nytimes.com/by/ben-dooley) and [Hisako Ueno](https://www.nytimes.com/by/hisako-ueno) March 17, 2021 TOKYO — A Japanese court on Wednesday ruled that the country’s failure to recognize same-sex marriages was unconstitutional, a landmark decision that could be an important step toward legalizing the unions across the nation. The ruling, handed down by a district court in the northern city of Sapporo, came in a civil suit against the Japanese government by three same-sex couples. The lack of recognition of their unions, they said, had unfairly cut them off from services and benefits accorded to married couples, and they sought damages of around \$9,000 per person. The couples argued that the government’s failure to recognize same-sex unions violated the constitutional guarantee of equality under the law and the prohibition against discrimination regardless of sex. The court agreed, writing in its decision that laws or regulations that deprived gay couples of the legal benefits of marriage constituted “discriminatory treatment without a rational basis.” But the court declined to award the couples damages, making a somewhat convoluted argument that the government could not be held liable because the issue of same-sex marriage had only recently entered Japan’s public discourse. Alexander Dmitrenko, a Canadian lawyer and resident of Tokyo who leads a nonprofit group advocating marriage equality, called the declaration of unconstitutionality “a remarkable and unique achievement,” saying that Japan’s courts are typically deferential to lawmakers. “In the eyes of the Japanese public, this decision should underscore that gay and lesbian couples are not treated equally in Japan,” he said. The ruling will not, however, change the law. Same-sex marriages will be recognized in Japan only if Parliament enacts legislation, Mr. Dmitrenko said. Lawmakers have repeatedly declined to take up such a bill. Still, activists saw the court’s decision as an important step in tearing down barriers to normalizing gay marriage in Japan, the only country in the Group of 7 nations that has not legalized same-sex unions. ## Editors’ Picks [![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/06/business/06biz-taxes-2026-mainart/06biz-taxes-2026-mainart-thumbLarge.jpg)It’s Time to File Your 2025 Tax Return. Here’s What to Know.](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/business/2025-taxes-return-refund-income.html) [![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/02/10/dining/10Valentine-roundup-red-velvet-cupcakes/merlin_183224016_5b6871e8-a39c-426b-9286-1f846cf49912-thumbLarge.jpg)24 Easy Valentine’s Day Recipes That Anyone Can Make](https://cooking.nytimes.com/article/easy-valentines-day-recipes) [![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/15/arts/15Myten-Miller/15Myten-Miller--thumbLarge.jpg)This ‘Summer House’ Star Loves to Eat Like a Child](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/07/arts/television/ciara-miller-summer-house-bravo.html) Advertisement [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/world/asia/japan-gay-marriage.html#after-pp_edpick) The unions are not explicitly banned in Japan, but they are not recognized by the national government or most localities. In recent years, some local governments have moved to provide gay couples with certificates acknowledging their marriage, but the documents have little legal or practical value. National authorities have long argued that their position is supported by a provision in the country’s constitution that stipulates marriage can occur only with the consent of both sexes, a provision that was intended to stop Japan’s once common practice of arranged marriages. The Japanese public remains divided in its attitudes on the subject. On one hand, the idea of same-sex marriage enjoys broad popular support. In a 2019 poll by the advertising giant Dentsu, [almost 80 percent](http://www.dentsu.com/news/release/2019/0110-009756.html) of respondents 60 and under said they supported the unions. Even the country’s notoriously rigid business community has begun to embrace the notion of marriage equality, marketing products to gay couples and improving protections for employees. On the individual level, however, many gay people are still hesitant to come out because of fears of discrimination from a society that is infamous for its often intense pressure to conform. For the plaintiffs, Wednesday morning was an emotional roller coaster. The first headlines about the decision highlighted the court’s rejection of the compensation claims, provoking a moment of deep anxiety, one of the plaintiffs, Ryosuke Kunimi, told a news conference later in the day. But when he saw the rest of the decision, he said, “I couldn’t stop my tears.” Same-sex couples have long felt that “discrimination was natural, that there was nothing we could do about it,” he said, adding that the court decision clearly showed “that’s not true.” The couples filed their suit in February 2019 as part of a broader national campaign to pressure the Japanese government into recognizing same-sex marriage. An additional 10 couples filed similar suits on the same day in three other courts across the country, and another couple later filed a similar suit in the city of Fukuoka. Rulings in those cases are expected later this year. Wednesday’s ruling is likely to have a positive impact on the outcomes of those cases, Takeharu Kato, one of the lawyers representing the couples, told reporters. The other suits were argued using nearly identical language to the one heard in Sapporo, he said, adding that “naturally, we will submit the ruling to other courts as evidence.” In the meantime, the plaintiffs’ legal team plans to appeal the court’s decision to deny compensation, Mr. Kato said, adding that “we want to keep up pressure on the government.” While the couples said they were pleased by Wednesday’s decision, they voiced caution about the road ahead. The ruling may face legal challenges. Ultimately, they will need Parliament to drop its longstanding opposition. Campaigners will continue pursuing the case “until the Supreme Court,” said Makiko Terahara, a director of Marriage for All Japan, a nonprofit organization that has taken the lead on the marriage equality cases. At the same time, she said, the campaign will step up pressure on Parliament “to amend the law to allow same-sex marriage as soon as possible.” Lawmakers “are obligated to respect the Constitution,” Ms. Terahara added. They “cannot allow the current situation, which is clearly in violation of the Constitution, to continue.” [Ben Dooley](https://www.nytimes.com/by/ben-dooley) reports on Japan’s business and economy, with a special interest in social issues and the intersections between business and politics. [Hisako Ueno](https://www.nytimes.com/by/hisako-ueno) has been reporting on Japanese politics, business, gender, labor and culture for The Times since 2012. She previously worked for the Tokyo bureau of The Los Angeles Times from 1999 to 2009. A version of this article appears in print on March 18, 2021, Section A, Page 10 of the New York edition with the headline: Lower Court’s Ruling Opens Door for Same-Sex Marriage in Japan. [Order Reprints](https://nytimes.wrightsmedia.com/) \\| [Today’s Paper](https://www.nytimes.com/section/todayspaper) \\| [Subscribe](https://www.nytimes.com/subscriptions/Multiproduct/lp8HYKU.html?campaignId=48JQY) - Share full article * ## Around the World With The Times ### Our reporters across the globe take you into the field. * - China’s Disappearing Generals: For three years, [Xi Jinping has been cleaning out the Chinese military elite](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/02/03/world/asia/china-xi-military-purge.html), bringing high-level dismissals and disappearances to nearly every arm of the military. - A Slice of Caracas in an Unlikely Spot: Generations of migrants from a village on the coast of southern Italy found a better life in Venezuela. 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Kennedy Jr. in Nashville on Wednesday. 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Readable Markdown	Advertisement [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/world/asia/japan-gay-marriage.html#after-top) A court found that it was unconstitutional for the country not to recognize the unions. But change would come only if Parliament passes legislation. ![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/03/17/world/17japan-marriage-1/merlin_185142024_5ee43cf4-9a0b-429a-9d95-316c2e47a41e-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Supporters of same-sex marriage outside the court in Sapporo, Japan, on Wednesday. The court handed the plaintiffs a victory but denied them damages.Credit...Jiji Press, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images March 17, 2021 TOKYO — A Japanese court on Wednesday ruled that the country’s failure to recognize same-sex marriages was unconstitutional, a landmark decision that could be an important step toward legalizing the unions across the nation. The ruling, handed down by a district court in the northern city of Sapporo, came in a civil suit against the Japanese government by three same-sex couples. The lack of recognition of their unions, they said, had unfairly cut them off from services and benefits accorded to married couples, and they sought damages of around \$9,000 per person. The couples argued that the government’s failure to recognize same-sex unions violated the constitutional guarantee of equality under the law and the prohibition against discrimination regardless of sex. The court agreed, writing in its decision that laws or regulations that deprived gay couples of the legal benefits of marriage constituted “discriminatory treatment without a rational basis.” But the court declined to award the couples damages, making a somewhat convoluted argument that the government could not be held liable because the issue of same-sex marriage had only recently entered Japan’s public discourse. Alexander Dmitrenko, a Canadian lawyer and resident of Tokyo who leads a nonprofit group advocating marriage equality, called the declaration of unconstitutionality “a remarkable and unique achievement,” saying that Japan’s courts are typically deferential to lawmakers. “In the eyes of the Japanese public, this decision should underscore that gay and lesbian couples are not treated equally in Japan,” he said. The ruling will not, however, change the law. Same-sex marriages will be recognized in Japan only if Parliament enacts legislation, Mr. Dmitrenko said. Lawmakers have repeatedly declined to take up such a bill. Still, activists saw the court’s decision as an important step in tearing down barriers to normalizing gay marriage in Japan, the only country in the Group of 7 nations that has not legalized same-sex unions. The unions are not explicitly banned in Japan, but they are not recognized by the national government or most localities. In recent years, some local governments have moved to provide gay couples with certificates acknowledging their marriage, but the documents have little legal or practical value. National authorities have long argued that their position is supported by a provision in the country’s constitution that stipulates marriage can occur only with the consent of both sexes, a provision that was intended to stop Japan’s once common practice of arranged marriages. The Japanese public remains divided in its attitudes on the subject. On one hand, the idea of same-sex marriage enjoys broad popular support. In a 2019 poll by the advertising giant Dentsu, [almost 80 percent](http://www.dentsu.com/news/release/2019/0110-009756.html) of respondents 60 and under said they supported the unions. Even the country’s notoriously rigid business community has begun to embrace the notion of marriage equality, marketing products to gay couples and improving protections for employees. On the individual level, however, many gay people are still hesitant to come out because of fears of discrimination from a society that is infamous for its often intense pressure to conform. For the plaintiffs, Wednesday morning was an emotional roller coaster. The first headlines about the decision highlighted the court’s rejection of the compensation claims, provoking a moment of deep anxiety, one of the plaintiffs, Ryosuke Kunimi, told a news conference later in the day. But when he saw the rest of the decision, he said, “I couldn’t stop my tears.” Same-sex couples have long felt that “discrimination was natural, that there was nothing we could do about it,” he said, adding that the court decision clearly showed “that’s not true.” The couples filed their suit in February 2019 as part of a broader national campaign to pressure the Japanese government into recognizing same-sex marriage. An additional 10 couples filed similar suits on the same day in three other courts across the country, and another couple later filed a similar suit in the city of Fukuoka. Rulings in those cases are expected later this year. Wednesday’s ruling is likely to have a positive impact on the outcomes of those cases, Takeharu Kato, one of the lawyers representing the couples, told reporters. The other suits were argued using nearly identical language to the one heard in Sapporo, he said, adding that “naturally, we will submit the ruling to other courts as evidence.” In the meantime, the plaintiffs’ legal team plans to appeal the court’s decision to deny compensation, Mr. Kato said, adding that “we want to keep up pressure on the government.” While the couples said they were pleased by Wednesday’s decision, they voiced caution about the road ahead. The ruling may face legal challenges. Ultimately, they will need Parliament to drop its longstanding opposition. Campaigners will continue pursuing the case “until the Supreme Court,” said Makiko Terahara, a director of Marriage for All Japan, a nonprofit organization that has taken the lead on the marriage equality cases. At the same time, she said, the campaign will step up pressure on Parliament “to amend the law to allow same-sex marriage as soon as possible.” Lawmakers “are obligated to respect the Constitution,” Ms. Terahara added. They “cannot allow the current situation, which is clearly in violation of the Constitution, to continue.” [Ben Dooley](https://www.nytimes.com/by/ben-dooley) reports on Japan’s business and economy, with a special interest in social issues and the intersections between business and politics. [Hisako Ueno](https://www.nytimes.com/by/hisako-ueno) has been reporting on Japanese politics, business, gender, labor and culture for The Times since 2012. She previously worked for the Tokyo bureau of The Los Angeles Times from 1999 to 2009. A version of this article appears in print on March 18, 2021, Section A, Page 10 of the New York edition with the headline: Lower Court’s Ruling Opens Door for Same-Sex Marriage in Japan. [Order Reprints](https://nytimes.wrightsmedia.com/) \\| [Today’s Paper](https://www.nytimes.com/section/todayspaper) \\| [Subscribe](https://www.nytimes.com/subscriptions/Multiproduct/lp8HYKU.html?campaignId=48JQY) ## Related Content [More in Asia Pacific](https://www.nytimes.com/section/world/asia) - ![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/01/13/multimedia/2025-10-21-china-telegram-index/2025-10-21-china-telegram-index-square640-v3.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) The New York Times - ![Robert Lloyd Schellenberg in 2019 during his retrial on drug-trafficking charges in a court in Dalian, China.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/06/multimedia/06int-china-canada-phfb/06int-china-canada-phfb-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Intermediate Peoples' Court of Dalian, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images - ![The Tottori Sand Dunes in Tottori, Japan, last month.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/03/multimedia/03xp-japan-hkbp/03xp-japan-hkbp-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Image by Mizuki Sakai/Kyodo News, via Associated Press - ![A helicopter flying over the Khumbu glacier near Mount Everest. 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Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks. - ![The author Coral Hart has become an evangelist for A.I.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/08/multimedia/08biz-AI-romance-qlth/08biz-AI-romance-qlth-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Charlotte Coppin for The New York Times - ![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/06/world/canada/Halibut_Thumb_v5/Halibut_Thumb_v5-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Alain Hamel - ![Leslie Wexner, the retail billionaire behind Victoria’s Secret, was one of Jeffrey Epstein’s most important clients.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/04/multimedia/00inv-epstein-wexner-qgtz/00inv-epstein-wexner-qgtz-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Fred Squillante/Columbus Dispatch, via USA Today Network - ![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/09/opinion/09bruni-newsletter-image/09bruni-newsletter-image-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Ben Wiseman - ![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/06/multimedia/06cli-mountain-lions-stillpromo/06cli-mountain-lions-stillpromo-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) Loren Elliott for The New York Times - ![Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in Nashville on Wednesday. Mr. Kennedy has a history of promoting ideas with little to no scientific evidence to back them up.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/05/multimedia/05dc-rfk-keto-photo-khmv/05dc-rfk-keto-photo-khmv-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350) George Walker IV/Associated Press Advertisement [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/world/asia/japan-gay-marriage.html#after-bottom)
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