As other countries in the Group of Seven continue to legally recognize same-sex marriage, Japan remains hesitant to follow suit. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida recently stated that the government needs to be “extremely careful” in considering the matter as it could potentially affect the structure of family life in Japan.
This cautious approach is not surprising, as many members of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party, led by Kishida, have opposed the concept of same-sex marriage, emphasizing the country’s traditional values, such as the role of women in giving birth and raising children.
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This issue gained renewed attention last year when LDP lawmaker Mio Sugita, the then-parliamentary vice minister for internal affairs and communications, was forced to retract past remarks against sexual minority couples. In 2018, Sugita stated in a magazine article that the government should not support sexual minority couples because they cannot bear offspring and are thus not “productive.”
While opposition parties have endorsed reforms around family issues, including recognizing same-sex weddings and allowing married couples to take separate surnames, a controversial topic in Japan in terms of gender equality, Kishida avoided answering the question directly when asked about a legal revision to enable married couples to use different surnames.
The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has recommended that Japan introduce reform to the system, but it remains to be seen if and when the country will take meaningful steps towards marriage equality.
