LGBTQ

Japan Grants Long-Term Residency Permit to a Transgender Woman for the First Time

This visa is typically only granted to foreigners who marry Japanese citizens.
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Photo by Teddy Österblom via Unsplash.

Same-sex marriage is still not legally recognised in Japan but a recent court decision has given some hope that change is possible.

Last month, Japan granted a long-term residence permit to a transgender woman for the first time, a visa typically reserved for foreigners married to Japanese citizens, CNN reported.

The woman, 58, chose not to disclose her name and nationality but she is reportedly from Southeast Asia and had been staying in Japan illegally for 26 years, her lawyer Miho Kumazawa said. She started living with her Japanese partner in 2002, a relationship the court took into consideration in making its decision.

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“Had she been single, she would not have been awarded this visa. But the government considered the reality of her relation to her partner, rather than its legality on paper,” said Kumazawa.

The woman tried to legalize her status in the country in May 2016 by notarizing a same-sex partnership agreement but was denied because Japan does not acknowledge same-sex marriages or unions. Some local governments provide certifications for these partnerships but it is not a nationwide practice.

The Japanese government has been slow in adapting LGBTQ rights. The first openly-gay representative was elected to the country’s parliament only this year.

The trans community, in particular, has its own struggles. In Japan, a trans identity is considered a “gender identity disorder" and those who want to legally change their gender must undergo certain required medical procedures. In March, the Human Rights Watch called this process “abusive.”

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