Nintendo Of Japan Recognizes Gay Marriage Even Though Japan Doesn't, Leading To Much Discourse Online

Many Nintendo fans are celebrating after the corporation's Japanese branch announced measures to circumvent the country's ban on gay marriage within the company.

The company issued an update to its corporate social responsibility initiatives earlier this week, where it clarified that while Japan does not recognize gay marriage, employees in a same-sex marriage will receive the same benefits as those in a heterosexual one.

WAIT ARE THEY BASICALLY SAYING THEY RECOGNIZE GAY MARRIAGE EVEN IF THE (JP) GOVERNMENT DOESNT AND HAD TRAINING FOR IT https://t.co/4rchLmS0gZ pic.twitter.com/hkywrgxGiF

— READ PINNED + DM ME‼️ (@LuigiOdyssey) July 12, 2022

The corporate document reads, in part:

Although same-sex marriages are not currently recognized 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. We have also established that a common-law marriage between couples will be observed in the same way as a legal marriage.

In late June, Japan upheld its ruling that gay marriage was unconstitutional, and it seems Nintendo has elected to ignore that ruling within the confines of their company.

Given the tumultuous political climate in Japan recently, the news of Nintendo's internal refusal to recognize the country's same-sex marriage ban was celebrated and joked about online as numerous tweets, articles and other posts commented on the viral topic.

With Abe dead and the state of Japan in a moment of weakness, Nintendo has declared independence. https://t.co/sW3PGhZbUW

— Not Potato Bolshevik (@NotPotBol) July 14, 2022

you know it's funny tho
nintendo is the wealthiest company in japan… so them announcing that they are fully supporting lgbtq+ rights is a very ballsy move
it's like if disney suddenly decided to be unironically pro-lgbt https://t.co/kNBGgaXzne

— Klu (@Dededaio) July 14, 2022

walking around gay Nintendo HOMOdachi Life?? 🫣 SplaTRANS?? 🫢🏳️‍⚧️ LuiBIs Mansion? 🏳️‍🌈⁉️ ACE Attorney?!? 👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨 XenoGENDERS Chronicles!? 😩 KIRBY?

— Laura Sparkles! ✨💫 #NewDeal4Animation (@ShinyScribbles) July 13, 2022