Setagaya and Nakano Wards to Recognize Same-Sex Couples in Residence Documents

Tokyo’s Setagaya and Nakano wards will begin writing “husband (undocumented)” and “wife (undocumented)” in the reporting column on residence documents for same-sex couples, just like common-law marriages, starting in November.

Omura City in Nagasaki Prefecture began doing so in May this year, and other cities and towns in the Kanto region have also done so, but these two wards are believed to be the first in Tokyo. Setagaya Ward, with a population of 920,000, will be the largest municipality to operate the system.

Setagaya District Mayor Nobuto Hosaka Announces New Policy

Mayor Nobuto Hosaka announced the new policy at the ward meeting on the 18th. Councilor Aya Kamikawa, who reviewed the status of the study, said, “We have exchanged views with other wards such as Nakano Ward, which is considering the same thing. It is significant that Setagaya Ward, which has implemented a partnership oath system, is implementing it. We are making preparations to start operations in November.”

In the Kanto region, similar information regarding same-sex couples has begun to be implemented in Kanuma City, Tochigi Prefecture, Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Zushi City, and Hayama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Setagaya Ward will make arrangements to issue certificates at 10 counters and branches within the ward, based on interviews with local governments. It is expected that the targets will be users of the partnership oath system in the ward and the Tokyo metropolitan area.

Nakano Ward Prepares to Implement New Policy

Nakano Ward has finalized its policy to begin operations in November. Preparations are currently underway, including the creation of a sample of the residence card.

At a press conference in July, Minister of the Interior and Communications Takeaki Matsumoto said that same-sex relationships should be recorded in the residence registers in the same way as common-law marriages, saying, “The residence registers are positioned as documents that authenticate residents’ residence relationships under the Basic Residents’ Register Law. There is a risk that practical problems may arise,” he said, indicating a negative attitude.