Sapporo becomes 1st major Japanese city to recognize LGBT couples

Well done Sapporo! Still a long way to go but this is fantastic news.

Good on Sapporo. Recognizing that love is love and that it shouldn't matter whether those in love are of the opposite gender.

Great job! Please add more issues to the already falling birth rate of Japan.

With less than two percent of the population in this class I fail to see why Governments World Wide let alone Japan when there are far more important issues to deal - Homelessness, Budget deficits etc

With less than two percent of the population in this class I fail to see why Governments World Wide let alone Japan when there are far more important issues to deal - Homelessness, Budget deficits etc

Because compared to those other problems, this is so easy to do, especially if it only affects 2% of the population.

Now, the question is: since it's so easy to do, why don't more of them do it?

Good for Sapporo to be more progressive than some of the opinions here. "Falling birth rate" and "budget deficits" are among the most ridiculous objections against equal marriage rights I have ever seen.

And hopefully the people commenting here who oppose it soon realise that it doesn't affect their own lives in any damn way, shape, or form.

Indeed! It's a shame it seems to be an emetic topic for some. And who's going to clean up all the mess?

On a more serious note; it's long overdue and kudos to Sapporo for showing common sense.

People who are against equal rights for people who don't do the Sex Thing like they approve have a definite fixation with other people's sex lives. Because their own are in such pristine religious order or in disarray? One wonders.

Being married is not a requirement for two men to play house.

Being married is not a requirement for two men to play house.

Being married is not required for anyone to play house. It is, however, required to receive life insurance payouts, family discounts, access to your loved one should they be hospitalized, etc. You know, things that cause zero harm to society.

With less than two percent of the population in this class I fail to see why Governments World Wide let alone Japan when there are far more important issues to deal - Homelessness, Budget deficits etc

The Smithsonian estimates between 10% - 16% of the world's population are LGBT, and as much as 20% express same sex attraction. If the population of Japan is 127.7 Million that means this issue could potentially affect 12 million people (that's almost the population of Tokyo).

Even if you believe the above figures seem really high, Dentsu conducted an online survey of Japanese people in 2015 and they found at least 7.6% of the Japanese population identify as LGBT. That's still roughly 9.7 Million people.

While I agree that budget deficits, homelessness, karoshi/work life balance and many other things are very important issues to deal with, the government is there to govern and this is all part of their job. This seems to be an issue easily addressed and can empower a group of marginalized people who simply want their love for one another recognised. Something that heterosexual people simply take for granted.

I would like to congratulate Sapporo and hope that we will continue to see such great progress throughout Japan!!

The word "Marriage" has unfortunately lost its original meaning, having been hijacked by governments as a requirement for certain prerequisites. So little wonder, that it's now catching up to the dismay of those with a Religious background. Governments need to adapt to relationships rather then enforce that religions do so.