Story perspectives

27,000-Signature Petition for Marriage Equality Delivered to Supreme Court

5/27/2026

Summary

LGBTQ+ Group Petition

The group will hand a petition with 27,000 signatures to Supreme Court on June 8, after drive ends June 7.
Director Matsunaka Gon announced May 18 at a conference that the Yes! For Marriage Equality campaign spans all 47 prefectures.
The group opened an exhibition of LGBTQ+ letters from 36 prefectures, aiming for all 47.
It released a series with Grindr For Equality, featuring episodes on Thailand (legalized Jan 2025) and Taiwan (legalized May 2019).

Summary

Supreme Court Hears

Supreme Court will hear marriage-equality cases before its Grand Bench, the constitutional review panel.
Five of six high-court suits ruled the lack of marriage equality unconstitutional, while Tokyo upheld the status quo and cited partnership-system spread as evidence of support.
A 2025 Shibuya Ward survey of 495 local governments found 195 (39.4%) deem partnership services “too limited,” prompting activists to urge Supreme Court to fix corporate gaps for same-sex couples.

History

Historical Context

On June 26 2015 the U.S. Supreme Court issued the 5-4 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling, extending the fundamental right to marry to same-sex couples nationwide. The decision sparked worldwide legal challenges, prompting Japan’s Supreme Court to hear five cases that could overturn the nation’s marriage ban. A ruling aligned with Obergefell would reshape Japan’s civil code and marriage rights.

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LGBTQ+ Group Petition

The group will hand a petition with 27,000 signatures to Supreme Court on June 8, after drive ends June 7.
Director Matsunaka Gon announced May 18 at a conference that the Yes! For Marriage Equality campaign spans all 47 prefectures.
The group opened an exhibition of LGBTQ+ letters from 36 prefectures, aiming for all 47.
It released a series with Grindr For Equality, featuring episodes on Thailand (legalized Jan 2025) and Taiwan (legalized May 2019).

1 / 3