Uneven law enforcement in Japan regarding same-sex union recognition for immigrants and Japanese nationals causes concern for some
- Although same-sex unions are not legally recognized in Japan, some immigrant couples have reported both partners being able to enter the country, with one listed as the dependent of the other, opening up a host of benefits.
- Legal professionals have clarified that while a “designated activities” dependent visa is an option for a same-sex spouse, spousal visas are not currently an option for same-sex couples.
- Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward announced in March that it would begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, but these are not federally recognized and businesses are not required to recognize them.
“We have been together over 15 years and became civil partners in 2012. We are considering changing this to a marriage, an option that only became possible in December 2014. I have heard of same-sex couples applying for a visa to stay in Japan with both being non-Japanese and getting visas to support this application, but they are being quiet about it for political reasons, it seems. But if it is the case of Japanese and non-Japanese, (the government) won’t do this.”
More on this story at The Japan Times.
(Image Credit: Mustapha Mokrane, via The Japan Times)
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