For Japan's LGBTQ couples, Tokyo "partnership certificates" are a small step toward equal marriage rights
CBSN
For a quarter-century, freelance writer Shinya Yamagata has enjoyed a loving and committed relationship with his partner, and the pair have long sought to tie the knot. But because Yamagata is Japanese, a wedding day seems as far off as ever.
As the couple approach their 60s, their anxiety is growing. Japan, Yamagata told CBS News, is no place to grow old for a gay couple.
"At all the important life stages, we are legally disadvantaged. For now, both of us are working and healthy," he said. "But if one of us has to go into the hospital, loses his job, has an accident, or dies, that's when our lives diverge starkly from those of married couples. Legally, we are regarded as total strangers, not spouses. So, we worry immensely about the future."
