Nintendo recognises same-sex marriages after Japanese court rules them unconstitutional

Same-sex marriages are still not recognised under Japanese law

Nintendo Japan has issued an update on the company’s corporate social responsibility, which recognises same-sex marriages.

It comes weeks after Japanese courts upheld a national ban on same-sex marriages. The case was decided June 20, with the courts saying that according to the constitution, “the definition of marriage did not extend to partnerships between people of the same gender”. It means Japan is still the only member of the G7 to not recognise same-sex marriages, with the UK making them legal in 2014.

However Nintendo Japan has now confirmed that in March 2021, the company introduced the “partnership system” (via GoNintendo).

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“At Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Japan), we want to create a work environment that supports and empowers each and every one of our unique employees,” reads the corporate social responsibility document.

“We introduced the Partnership System in March 2021 as one initiative based on this philosophy. Although same-sex marriages are not currently recognised under Japanese law, this system ensures employees who are in a domestic partnership with a same-sex partner have the same benefits as employees in an opposite-sex marriage,” it continued.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. Credit: Ubisoft/Nintendo.

In addition to introducing the Partnership System, Nintendo Japan confirmed it has also “revised our internal regulations regarding harassment to clearly prohibit discriminatory comments based on sexual orientation or gender identity, as well as disclosing someone’s privately held sexual orientation against their will.”

“Alongside the introduction of the Partnership System in Japan, we notified our employees about the issue of gender diversity with a message from our president as a means of raising awareness of what diversity means. In this message, the president called for all employees to adopt a renewed understanding that even speech and actions, which are not intended to harm, can cause significant emotional pain, asking for understanding and support to create an environment in which everyone can work comfortably.”

The document ends: “By improving our company systems and conducting training, we will continue our work to create an environment where each of our many diverse employees can fully realise their talents.”

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In other news, Riot Games has announced a Star Guardian event for League Of Legends which will bring new skins and an in-client story, along with new music from Porter Robinson.

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