LIFELINES: Same sex marriage - Japan Times

LIFELINES
Bird flu, same-sex, posting
By ANGELA JEFFS - Japan Times 2005/11/29

Same sex marriage

X in Canada wants to know if his marriage there to Japanese boyfriend Y is legal in Japan. "As you probably know, Canada became the fourth country in the world to legalize gay marriages third year, along with the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain. If we decide to move to Japan, how will this affect us?"

Legally, Japan does not recognize same-sex marriages. You will not be able to get a spouse visa, for example. If you want confirmation or to argue the case, call the Immigration Information Office in Tokyo's Shinagawa district on (03) 5796 7112.

In terms of finding accommodation, most probably a blind eye will be turned to two men sharing; just get all the paperwork done in your Japanese partner's name.

The place to go to deal with sexuality-related human rights issues in Japan is the organization OCCUR, which welcomes any inquiries about the legal ramifications of recognizing overseas marriages and/or human rights violations.

OCCUR can be contacted on(03) 3383-5556, or (fax) (03) 3229-7880. Alternatively e-mail: occur@kt.rim.or.jp