Partnership oath in Japan

As of 27 June 2024, 421 municipalities and 26 prefectures have established a "partnership oath system" (パートナーシップ宣誓制度, ', ), also known as "partnership certification system" (パートナーシップ証明制度, '), which provides same-sex (and, in some jurisdictions, opposite-sex) couples with some limited benefits.

The couple is issued a special certificate which may be useful in matters such as housing, hospital visitation rights and consenting to surgery for a partner. However, the system is not legally binding and there is no legal obligation on landlords or hospitals to honour the couples' rights even if presented with a certificate, though cities have encouraged companies, hospitals and landlords to recognize the certificate. The various benefits provided by the system are also very limited in comparison to those granted to married couples; same-sex couples cannot inherit the estate and property of a deceased partner or attend the funeral of a deceased partner for instance. Partners must meet certain requirements, including living in the municipality or prefecture, being older than 20 years of age, and not having a spouse or another partner. In some jurisdictions, the children and other close relatives of a partnered couple may opt to be recognized in the partnership oath.

Municipal partnership systems
On April 1, 2015, Shibuya in central Tokyo announced it would offer same-sex couples special "partnership certificates". While these licenses are not legally recognized as marriage certificates, they may be used in civil matters such as hospital visitation rights and housing. The Shibuya city office began accepting applications on 28 October 2015. In response to this action by the Shibuya city office, the "Special Committee to Protect Family Ties" (家族の絆を守る特命委員会, ) of the federal ruling Liberal Democratic Party was formed in March 2015 to discuss the matter. An officer from the Ministry of Justice who was invited to comment stated that the action by Shibuya is legal because the certificate issued is not a marriage certificate and the current Japanese legal code does not prohibit the "partnership" of same-sex couples. In July 2015, Setagaya announced it would be joining Shibuya in issuing partnership certificates from 5 November. In November 2015, the special city of Takarazuka announced it would issue partnership certificates to same-sex couples beginning on 1 June 2016. In December 2015, the city of Iga in Mie Prefecture made a similar announcement, with certificates starting on 1 April 2016, and on 22 February 2016, Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture, announced it would begin issuing partnership certificates to same-sex couples on 8 July 2016.

In April 2016, an LGBT rights group began a campaign for the official recognition of same-sex couples in Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido Prefecture. The group took its petition to the Sapporo City Government in June 2016. In December 2016, officials announced that Sapporo planned to draw up guidelines by March 2017. In March, the City Government announced that partnership certificates would be issued to couples beginning on 1 June 2017. While the certificates hold no legal meaning, some insurance companies use them to allow same-sex partners to be added as beneficiaries. According to the city, about 1,500 people expressed opinions welcoming the program, while some opposed it. Sapporo became the first designated city in Japan to establish a partnership system. On 14 February 2018, the Fukuoka city office announced plans to start issuing partnership certificates to same-sex and different-sex couples from 2 April 2018. Osaka followed suit on 9 July 2018, and Chiba on 29 January 2019. Nakano began offering partnership certificates on 20 August 2018. Couples can receive notarized documentation recognizing a delegation agreement for medical treatment and nursing care, property management and other areas in which married couples share responsibility.

The number of cities which have established a partnership registry has steadily increased in the years since. 21 cities established a same-sex partnership system in 2019, notably Kitakyushu, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Nagasaki, Sakai, Yokohama, and Yokosuka. 36 more cities followed suit in 2020, including Hamamatsu, Kawasaki, Kyoto, Minato, Nara, Niigata, Okayama, Sagamihara, Saitama, and Takamatsu. 69 more cities followed in 2021, notably Adachi, Chigasaki, Fujisawa, Funabashi, Hiroshima, Kanazawa, Kōchi, Koshigaya, Nishinomiya, and Toyota. 107 cities established a partnership system in 2022, including Akita, Kagoshima, Nagano, Nagoya, and Shizuoka, and 106 cities in 2023, including Kobe, Kashiwa, Morioka, Ōita, Matsudo, Ichikawa, Machida and Fujisawa. On 1 April 2023, Kagawa became the first prefecture in which all municipalities had created their own registries, despite lacking a prefecture-wide registry; Kanagawa became the second by 1 July 2023.

Prefectural partnership systems
In January 2019, the Government of Ibaraki Prefecture announced it was considering introducing a partnership system for same-sex couples in April 2019. In March 2019, Governor Kazuhiko Ōigawa expressed his personal support for the introduction of such a scheme. The Ibaraki Prefectural Assembly began examing legislation to this effect in June 2019. The prefecture has offered partnership certificates since July 1, 2019, which made it the first prefecture to do so. Eight days later, Mito, the prefectural capital, announced that couples who are in the possession of the prefecture's certificates would be eligible to move into the municipality's public housing facilities, starting in August 2019.

On 15 January 2020, Osaka Prefecture announced it would start a partnership system on January 22. Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura said in a statement that "we should aim for a society where one can live as themselves". The first couple to receive a certificate were Shuji Yamada and Shigeo Hiruda on 31 January. The certificate allows couples to apply to move into prefectural housing and consent to surgery, among other limited benefits. Five cities in Osaka had already established such a system before it was extended to the entire prefecture. Gunma Prefecture announced on 5 November 2020 that it would introduce a partnership system by the end of the year. The system would provide same-sex couples with some limited recognition, including the right to move into prefectural housing and visit each other in hospitals. Governor Ichita Yamamoto said he hoped the move would "send a positive message" and "promote diversity". On 17 December, Yamamoto announced the system would be established on 21 December. The first certificate was issued to couple Saori Tanaka and Hisanagi Makita in Shibukawa on 24 December.

On 20 November 2020, Governor Eikei Suzuki of Mie Prefecture announced his intention to introduce a partnership system before the end of the year. The system was introduced on 1 September 2021, with the first couple issued a certificate that same day in Tsu. Saga Prefecture started its partnership oath system a few days earlier, on 27 August 2021. Governor Yoshinori Yamaguchi praised the move. In November 2021, the government of Aomori Prefecture announced its intention to introduce a partnership system on 7 February 2022. A partnership oath system has also been in effect in Akita and Fukuoka prefectures since 1 April 2022. On 15 February 2022, Governor Tomikazu Fukuda of Tochigi Prefecture announced he would introduce a partnership system in fall 2022; it was established on 1 September 2022.

On 7 June 2021, the General Affairs Committee of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly unanimously accepted a petition, launched by LGBT activists and signed by 18,000 people, to establish a partnership system in Tokyo Metropolis. Governor Yuriko Koike expressed her support for the move, stating it would "respect the human rights of sexual minorities and promote the understanding of Tokyo citizens regarding diversity". The bill was enacted by the Metropolitan Assembly on 15 June 2022. It calls on businesses and other entities to treat same-sex partnerships as equal to married couples, allowing couples to access family-use housing and the right to visit their partners in hospital. At least one partner must be resident in Tokyo or a commuter for work. It came into force on 1 November, with applications being accepted from 10 October, making Tokyo the tenth prefecture to do so.

Governor Hajime Furuta of Gifu Prefecture announced on 10 December 2020 that he was considering establishing a partnership system in the prefecture. Governor Heita Kawakatsu of Shizuoka Prefecture announced on 1 September 2021 that he was also considering it by the end of 2022. The Deputy Governor of Toyama Prefecture voiced the same in December 2021. Both Shizuoka and Toyama prefectures established a partnership system on 1 March 2023.

Overall, the number of prefectures which have established a partnership registry has slowly increased over the years. 1 was established in 2019 (Ibaraki), 2 in 2020 (Osaka, Gunma), 2 in 2021 (Saga, Mie), 5 in 2022 (Aomori, Akita, Fukuoka, Tochigi, Tokyo), 9 in 2023 (Shizuoka, Toyama, Nagano, Gifu, Kagawa, Shimane, Tottori, Fukui, Yamanashi), and 7 in 2024 so far (Yamagata, Wakayama, Aichi, Hyogo, Nara, Oita, Tokushima). The establishment of prefectural systems has often not precluded the subsequent establishments of municipal systems within the same prefecture.

Between cities
On October 30, 2019, the cities of Fukuoka and Kumamoto announced they would recognize each other's partnership certificates effective immediately. This marked the first time that two or more jurisdictions in Japan had begun recognizing each other's certificates, easing recognition for same-sex couples. This means that if a same-sex couple with a certificate moves between both cities they need not reapply for a certificate in their new city. Since 1 April 2020, certificates from Kitakyushu and Koga are also recognized between the four cities. Certificates from Okayama, Nichinan, and Karatsu are also recognised in Fukuoka.

On December 2, 2019, the mayor of Yokosuka announced his intention to establish a joint recognition scheme with the fellow Kanagawa cities of Zushi and Kamakura, taking effect on 1 April 2020. Hayama joined the scheme on 1 July 2020, and Miura joined on 1 January 2021. In July 2020, Okayama and Sōja agreed to mutually recognize their certificates and eliminate the need for new procedures when couples move between the two cities. Okayama reached a similar agreement with Fukuoka in November 2020 and Hiroshima in January 2021. Hiroshima and Akitakata also mutually recognize their certificates. The cities of Katano and Hirakata decided to recognize each other's certificates in June 2021. Since then, numerous other cities have also established such mutual recognition schemes. On 1 February 2022, a similar agreement took effect between Chigasaki, Fujisawa and Samukawa.

The cities of Chiba and Yokohama made a similar recognition agreement in January 2021, effective on 1 February 2021. In early April 2021, the cities and towns of Amagasaki, Ashiya, Inagawa, Itami, Kawanishi, Nishinomiya, Sanda and Takarazuka, all in Hyōgo Prefecture, agreed to recognize each other's certificates. Likewise, in May 2021, 12 municipalities in Tokyo, Adachi, Bunkyō, Edogawa, Fuchū, Koganei, Kokubunji, Kunitachi, Minato, Nakano, Setagaya, Shibuya and Toshima, agreed to mutually recognize each other's certificates. The cities of Chiba, Funabashi, Ichikawa, Matsudo, Kashiwa, and Narashino, all in Chiba prefecture, signed a mutual recognition agreement on July 11, 2023.

Eighteen cities in Aichi Prefecture signed an agreement to recognize each other's partnership certificates on October 17, 2023. On October 29, 2023, the Kanagawa Prefecture cities of Fujisawa, Yokohama and Isehara signed an agreement.

Between prefectures
On 18 August 2022, Saga and Ibaraki prefectures announced they would recognize each other's partnership certificates, becoming the first prefectures to do so. Saga Prefecture completed a similar agreement with Fukuoka on 24 November. On 20 December, mutual recognition was established between Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma prefectures. On 31 January 2023, Ibaraki signed an agreement with Mie. On September 4, 2023, Ibaraki signed an agreement with Toyama. On February 22, 2024, an agreement was signed between Mie and Gifu prefectures.

Between prefectures and internal municipalities
In March 2020, Iwate Prefecture passed a law to recognize partnership registries created by municipalities within the prefecture for purpose of benefits, despite not having a prefecture-level registry at the time.

Upon establishing its own partnership registry in November 2022, Tokyo Metropolis mutually recognized all partnership registries in Tokyo's wards and cities.

Between prefectures and external municipalities
On October 30, 2023, Ibaraki Prefecture and the city of Saitama, Saitama Prefecture signed an agreement to recognize each other's partnership registries.

List of partnership oath systems
As of 27 June 2024, the following 421 municipalities and 26 prefectures have established a same-sex partnership oath system, comprising about 84% of the Japanese population. In 4 further jurisdictions, such policies will soon take effect on a specific date, while 8 others have policies which have yet to be dated. Partnership registries have not yet been established at the municipal nor prefecture levels of Miyagi prefecture. Prefectures are bolded. An asterisk (*) indicates that familyship registration is also available.

Future partnership systems
Measures to allow partnership certificates have been proposed in numerous areas, including the prefectures of Ishikawa, Iwate and Kagoshima; several administrative wards in Tokyo, such as Chiyoda, Chūō, Katsushika, Kōtō, Nerima, Shinjuku, and Taitō; and the cities of Tōgō, Hachinohe, Matsuyama, Fukuyama, Kumano, Onomichi, Saka, Sera, Azumino, Nagayo, Kamo, Sado, Tamano, Itoman, Okinawa, Nago, Nanjō, Tomigusuku, Fujieda, Shimada, Higashimurayama, Nichinan, Yonago, Toyama, Hagi, Hirao, Iwakuni  and Shimonoseki.

Family registration
Numerous other municipalities have also established a "partnership familyship system" (パートナーシップ・ファミリーシップ制度, ). This system also recognises the children and in-laws of same-sex couples, and allows partners to make medical decisions for their child, and to pick up their children at schools and kindergartens (whereas previously only the biological parent was allowed to pick up the child). The first to establish this system was Akashi, Hyōgo in January 2021 followed by Tokushima in February 2021 and Adachi, Tokyo in April 2021. Tokyo established a partnership system with a similar option in November 2022, becoming the first prefectural government to do so.

List of mutual recognition agreements
The following is a list of agreements of mutual recognition of partnership oath registries between jurisdictions (パートナーシップ制度の相互利用連携, pātonāshippu seido no sōgo riyō renkei).

Extension to opposite-sex relationships
Some jurisdictions extend partnership oath registries to common-law marriages, in which opposite-sex couples enter live-in relationships without civil registration of marriage. Such protections allow for certification of opposite-sex couples who do not wish to be subject to several mandates regarding marriage, including the legal requirement to share the husband's surname. Tokyo became the first prefecture-level jurisdiction to allow common-law couples to enter partnerships. In April 2024, Aichi Prefecture became the first prefecture-level familyship system to be extended to opposite-sex couples.

Statistics
The first couple to receive a partnership certificate were Koyuki Higashi and Hiroko Masuhara in Shibuya on 5 November 2015. They were personally congratulated by Mayor Ken Hasebe. Later that day, Setagaya issued certificates to seven couples. By April 2017, 17 same-sex partnership certificates had been issued in Shibuya.

319 certificates had been issued in Japan by November 2018. This had increased to 617 by October 2019, to 1,052 by June 2020, to 1,301 by November 2020, to 2,018 by July 2021, and to 3,168 by June 2022, with most being issued in Osaka Prefecture followed by Tokyo, Kanagawa and Chiba prefectures.

As of 1 November 2023, residents in 890 total municipalities are eligible to register their partnerships with a municipal or prefecture government's registry, out of 1,719 total municipalities. All 20 designated cities and 28 out of 62 core cities offer municipal partnership registries, while 18 other core cities are covered by existing prefectural registries and 3 others are set to be covered by 2024. 26 of 47 prefectural capitals offer municipal partnership registries, while 11 other prefectural capitals or seats of government are covered by prefectural partnership registries.

Private-sector partnerships
As a private sector response to the lack of national recognition of same-sex partnerships, the Famiee Project created a digital blockchain-secured partnership registry in 2019. In order to receive a Famiee certificate, the couple must apply via a mobile app and will receive a digital certificate to be used as proof of familial status. The Famiee Project received the backing of at least 17 companies who will recognize the digital partnership certificate and treat a couple the same as a different-sex couple for banking and insurance purposes. The partnerships are not currently recognized by the Government of Japan, but aim to create pressure from the private sector for political action to expand LGBT rights in the country.