Japanese High Court Declares Same-Sex Marriage Ban Unconstitutional

A Japanese high court has ruled that denying same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, urging the government to take action to address the lack of a law allowing such unions. The ruling emphasized that not allowing same-sex couples to marry violates their fundamental right to equality and freedom of marriage. While the Tokyo District Court issued a similar ruling, it did not change the current civil union law defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Despite the conservative government's opposition, support for marriage equality has grown among the Japanese public, and the LGBTQ+ community sees the rulings as a landmark decision that gives them hope for change toward equality.