About  our organization

Marriage for All Japan (MFAJ) is an organization established for the purpose of achieving marriage equality (same-sex marriage). With the exception of the two secretariats, all members work on a pro bono basis.

MFAJ has three missions:the first is to provide support for the same-sex marriage lawsuits currently underway in five courts; the second is to urge Diet members to amend the law; and the third is to raise public awareness (events, information dissemination, media relations, collaboration with companies, video production, research, etc.).

With the absence of same-sex marriage, same-sex couples, unlike heterosexual couples, cannot obtain various rights and benefits associated with marriage (inheritance rights, joint parental rights, tax benefits, social security, etc.).

In addition, not recognizing same-sex marriages is the same as the government sending out a negative message that “same-sex couples do not need to be recognized as a legitimate relationship,” thereby promoting discrimination and prejudice against same-sex couples and sexual minorities.

Not recognizing same-sex marriage not only denies same-sex couples the legal right to live their daily lives, but also continues to violate the personal dignity of sexual minorities.

Originally, a group of volunteer lawyers from all over Japan worked together to protect the human rights of sexual minorities. In the process, we became increasingly aware that not recognizing same-sex marriage was a symbolic discrimination against sexual minorities, and decided to take the step of litigating same-sex marriage.

However, we thought that in order to make same-sex marriage a reality as soon as possible, we should not only file a lawsuit but also conduct a campaign to raise public awareness at the same time. MFAJ was established as a group of volunteer lawyers with some non-lawyer members to conduct the campaign. MFAJ is made up of people who have been working for sexual minorities rights for a long time.