Written by Staff Writer at CNN
Tokyo is pushing ahead with a plan to allow same-sex marriage, even though the bill still faces opposition in the capital.
Nikkei, a newspaper, reported Wednesday that city lawmakers have introduced the bill, which allows same-sex couples to enter civil unions. Under the bill, civil unions would only be recognized by the Japanese government and health authorities.
The bill comes months after Tokyo held a referendum in which 2,857 voted in favor of allowing same-sex unions and 2,254 voters said no. The city needs to obtain more than one-quarter of voter votes to approve the bill.
A total of 60% of voters supported same-sex unions in a Japanese poll. Credit: Getty Images
The government is reportedly considering a bill that would legalize same-sex marriages by 2022. On Wednesday, Japan’s Foreign Ministry updated its official stance on same-sex relationships, saying “marriage is an issue for all individuals,” according to CNN.
Japan has seen rising public support for same-sex relationships in recent years.
In 2017, about 61% of voters said that same-sex relationships should be legal, according to a survey by the Japanese Association of Legal Consultants (JILA).