Japan’s leading opposition party submitted to parliament on Monday a bill to legally recognize same-sex marriage in an effort to spur debate on the issue.
The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan’s bill proposes amending wording in the country’s Civil Code that has been written on the premise that marriage is a union between partners of different sexes.
Japan is the only Group of Seven country that does not legally recognize same-sex marriage or civil unions, with the government and ruling party remaining cautious about the issue.