Nintendo Japan Supports Same Sex Marriage, Even If Japan Won't

Some may argue otherwise, but the video games industry has always been political - as our very own Mike Diver so aptly explained - and in recent months, that’s been more evident than ever. As our political landscape grows ever … muddier … developers and studios are increasingly speaking out on a variety of topics.

Developers across the globe pledged their support to Ukraine following the invasion by Russia earlier this year and just a few days ago, Activision Blizzard staff announced a walkout as they sought the companies’ protection of their healthcare rights following the overturning of Roe V. Wade. Now, gaming giant Nintendo are pledging their support for same-sex marriage, which is not legally recognised under Japanese law.

As I’m sure you know, many countries across the globe celebrated Pride Month throughout June and on the heels of that drawing to a close, Nintendo Japan committed their support to LGBTQ+ staff and communities.

The company recently outlined their corporate social responsibility initiatives. As spotted by Go Nintendo, one section called ‘Introduction of a Partnership System’ outlined that as of March 2021, Nintendo introduced a new policy where “same-sex partners” can enjoy the “same benefits as employees in an opposite-sex marriage.”

It’s important to remember the context surrounding this policy. As pointed out by Kotaku, Japanese courts upheld a national ban on same-sex marriage just a few weeks ago. Attempts have been made to overrule these bans but same-sex partnerships shockingly remain unconstitutional under Japanese law. 

This makes Nintendo’s stance all the more powerful. The company explained, “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.” Japan is the only member of the G7 international forum not to recognise same-sex marriage.