A Japanese court has ruled that a ban on same-sex marriage is constitutional, the second such ruling in the only G7 member state where same-sex marriage is not allowed.

At the same time, the Tokyo District Court states in the reasoning of the judgment that the absence of a legal framework for same-sex couples to start a family violates their human rights. According to the Japanese Constitution, marriage is a union based on "mutual consent of both sexes".

The court in Tokyo passed the same verdict as the court in Osaka in June, i.e. that the same-sex marriage ban is in accordance with the Constitution. However, a court in Sapporo, northern Japan, ruled last year that the ban was unconstitutional.