Kishida in February sacked an aide after he sparked outrage by saying that people would flee Japan if same-sex marriage was allowed and that he didn’t want to live next to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender couples.
Kishida has remained noncommittal about the issue despite strong pressure from other G7 nations, especially the United States, in the run-up to Japan’s hosting of the G7 leaders’ summit last month.
Key business lobbies have called for change, arguing that without diversity including LGBTQ rights, the world’s third-largest economy will not remain globally competitive.
More than 300 municipalities throughout Japan covering about 65 per cent of the population allow same-sex couples to enter partnership agreements, but their rights are limited. Partners can’t inherit each other’s assets or have parental rights to each other’s children, and hospital visits aren’t guaranteed.
Kishida’s government promised to pass a law promoting “understanding” of LGBT people before the summit, but opposition from conservatives delayed it so much that a watered-down version is likely to come to a vote next week.
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