Is same-sex marriage legal in Japan?
Not recognized
Same-sex unions have no legal recognition.
Japan is one of 82 countries classified “Not recognized” for same-sex marriage — 54% of the 152 with data. (Also searched as gay marriage.)
Source
- Last checked
- 15 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Read directly from the source’s own table, without interpretation.
Nearby countries
- South Korea
- Not recognized Same-sex unions have no legal recognition.
- North Korea
- Not recognized Same-sex unions have no legal recognition.
- Taiwan
- Marriage legal Same-sex marriage is legally performed and recognized.
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Marriage legal Same-sex marriage is legally performed and recognized.
- Hong Kong
- Not recognized Same-sex unions have no legal recognition.
- Macau
- Not recognized Same-sex unions have no legal recognition.
Other laws in Japan
- Same-Sex Activity
- Legal
- Age of Consent
- 16–17
- Sex Work
- Decriminalized / unregulated
- Pornography
- Restricted
- Divorce
- Legal
- Non-Binary Recognition
- Not recognized
- Same-Sex Adoption
- Limited (step-child / single)
- Incest Laws
- Legal between adults
- Marriage Age
- 18+
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.