Tokyo has begun rolling out a partnership certificate scheme to same-sex couples, allowing them to be treated as married couples for certain public services for the first time, but falling short of marriage equality. Japan is currently the only country in the G7 group of developed nations which doesn’t recognise same-sex unions. However, recent polling suggests most Japanese support the normalisation of gay marriages. According to a survey conducted in 2021 by Japan’s public broadcaster NHK, 57% were in favour, while just 37% were against.
