Court Japan declared today unconstitutional the ban on same-sex marriagea decision hailed by campaigners as a step towards marriage equality in the only G7 country where there is no legal protection for same-sex unions.

The Nagoya District Court’s decision is the second to find the ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, out of four such cases heard in the past two years.

The Japanese constitution defines marriage as a marriage between a man and a woman.

A Tokyo court later upheld the ban on same-sex marriage, but stressed that the lack of legal protection for same-sex families violated their human rights.

Today’s decision was greeted with applause from activists and supporters of same-sex marriage who waited outside the court with rainbow flags.

Although polls show that about 70% of citizens support same-sex marriage, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s conservative ruling Liberal Democratic Party opposes it.

In February, Kishida fired an aide who sparked outrage by saying people would leave the country if same-sex marriage was allowed, but the prime minister remained cautious and said negotiations on the issue should continue with attention.

However, more than 300 municipalities in the country, which cover about 65% of the population, allow same-sex couples to enter into civil partnerships.

But the right is limited in scope. The parties cannot inherit each other’s property and have no parental rights over each other’s children. In addition, hospital visits are not guaranteed.

Japan has faced the need for change from both other G7 countries and financial lobbyists as businesses argue that more diversity is needed to compete internationally.

Source: APE-MPE, Reuters.