New Japanese Court Win, Expanded (But Still Restricted) Rights for Same Sex Couples, and Takaichi’s Ascendancy

This article covers a lot of ground. Since our last article on Japan, there have been quite a few developments in the realm of trans and LGBTQ rights, as well as one big area for potential concern. We will start with the good news. Sapporo Family Court Finds Requirement for Continue Reading

Japanese Family Court Finds Remaining Surgical Requirement Unconstitutional

On 19 September, the Sapporo Family Court found that the requirement to have “genitalia matching the target sex” as a requirement to legally change sex in Japan is unconstitutional and therefore invalid, according to an exclusive published in the Asahi Shinbun on 23 September. ([1]) According to Asahi, the case Continue Reading

Osaka High Court Overturns Lower Court Ruling, Finds Lack of Marriage Equality Unconstitutional [Updated]

(Photo: Osaka High Court, by Topgun1997 via Wikimedia Commons) On 25 March, the Osaka High Court found that the country’s lack of marriage equality was unconstitutional. This makes the fifth high court finding Japanese law to be out of step with the country’s constitution in regards to marriage equality. Significantly, Continue Reading