Japan grants long-term visa to gay U.S. man wed to Japanese

To be clear here, this is not a spouse visa but a "designated activities visa".

Also, the articles does not mention on what grounds the "designated activities visa" has been granted.

In reality, the granting could have nothing to do with the marital relationship of the applicant.

More information on that visa here:

https://lawoffice-yokoyama.com/info/news230218en/#:~:text=To%20that%20end%2C%20Japanese%20govenment%20grants%20%E2%80%9CDesignated%20Activities%E2%80%9D,or%20entrepreneurship%20for%20a%20maximum%20of%202%20years.

"for up to a year..... the designated activities visa limits working conditions"

Um, that's kind of pathetic.

A guess it's a step, but a very small one on a very long path ahead.

For the life of me I can't understand why these two won't live in happily married bliss in...wait for it...America, where gay marriage is legal. Why press your claims in a country that has yet to recognize gay marriage?

Long term you say

It is the 'spouse visa' that he won't get. A permanent visa based on being married to a Japanese national.

I'm happy that happy people can stay in Japan long term.

So he didn’t even get the long term resident, teijusha, visa? If he got that visa maybe it’d be a step in the right direction, as no limits on work activities. But they only give that visa to divorced guys and single foreign moms who don’t qualify for permanent residency and have some kind of “special circumstances” taken into consideration.

As an Australian I can get a 12 months visa without go through the courts. Excuse would be extended holiday visa

I second Roy on this, and I'm American. The US does not have a work/holidy scheme, unlike other countries.

@ JeffLee - It's a small step, but nevertheless, a step forward. Japan does have a long way to go with this and other things, since as more female and minority representation in government (Yes, I know that you have to be Japanese to be in government.).

One year? He is married. In one year, how can they buy a house, car, have vegetable garden, jobs, adopt a child, belong to community groups, they have to throw everything away?

Same-sex marriage is a complete contradiction in terms.

Japan has progressed one step forward…but it’s toward a cliff. The government should only recognize marriage not commitment ceremonies.

As long as it is not an official 'Spouse Visa', I agree with the ruling.

Live and let live.

Since this is news, presumably the fellow would not normally qualify for the designated activities visa, and has been given it by bending the rules under the special circumstances of the guy being legally married to a Japanese in another country.

Gay marriage will be introduced in Japan some time in the future, but in the meantime, if there are other ways to give rights to gay couples, then its good to use them. The traditional way to do this within the country has been adoption. I personally think some parallel form of marriage, legally binding "civil partnerships" or the like, would be an easy way to get around the "marriage is between a man and a woman" traditionalists. Let gays get legally married but call it something else.

A "designated activities visa" is better than a spouse visa because he can work at whatever he wants to part or full time.

A spouse visa can work without restrictions.

The designated activities visa will allow Andrew High, who has been seeking long-term residence through the legal system, to remain in Japan for up to a year.

Good job Japan at staying within your laws.

For the life of me I can't understand why these two won't live in happily married bliss in...wait for it...America, where gay marriage is legal. Why press your claims in a country that has yet to recognize gay marriage?

I expect mainly because America is the armpit of the universe.

The Japanese government will do it bear minimum as much the G7 will give them a pass on. This is policy that time will not change only the backing of the population which is more old then young. This depopulation issue is a major concern much bigger than a foreigner and his partner. The barriers in place have huge gapping holes and they are there for a purpose. To keep this out of the legal courts. As one can see this visa has already been established for miscellaneous situation for this exactly reason. No laws were change in granting this visa. Not moving any possible future legislation forwards. If you want to indulge in abnormal marriage it not going to happen in Japan. LOVE JAPAN.

Roy: Their funds spent on these legal challenges should be used to fly out to South Korea get his passport stamp and return. 6 hours at every three months at most compared to spending weeks and untold funds in a court were nothing will change. They say at lease they got a 12 months visa. They could spent a matter of hours applying for the same visa. This is just another message from the Japan legal system to all wanting to indulge in legal abnormal marriage in Japan. It's not going to happen legally in Japan.

It will probably change in time. I remember when there were no spouse visas for foreign men who married Japanese women, only foreign women marrying Japanese men.

John San -

It's not going to happen legally in Japan.

It will happen - like many things, Japan takes a while to catch up. Probably a decade or so down the track is my guess.

Times change - society changes, attitudes change and even constitutions change.

Public polls are indicating support for same sex marriage. Whether you call it abnormal or not is irrelevant. You'll likely be gone when it does take effect.

Eastman Today 08:43 am JST

same sex relationship is not marriage

Yes, it is.

girl_in_tokyo, no, it isn't.

Lord DartmouthMar. 14 04:39 pm JST

no, it isn't.

That is your opinion based on a personal prejudice, and is not a fact.

The fact is that marriage in the US is legal between all consenting adults regardless of gender. Just because you don't like it doesn't make it not a fact.

It's a step in the right direction. Still a long ways to go, but nice to see this step.

same sex relationship is not marriage

Sure it is. There are literally millions of same-sex marriages all over the world. Next time you're going to start telling us fish aren't amphibious. How silly. I hope you're trolling us, and not so low intelligence to be trying to deny the existence of something that exists beyond all doubt.