Japanese lesbian couple to ‘wed’ in all 26 countries with marriage equality

A Japanese lesbian couple is planning to visit all 26 countries where same-sex marriage is legal to protest their nation’s lack of marriage equality.

University students Misato Kawasaki, 21, and Mayu Otaki, 22, clarified in a statement to PinkNews that they are not planning to actually get married 26 times, but simply take wedding photos in each destination.

The couple hope that the photos, published on their blog and social media channels along with other content from the six-month trip, will convince the public that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry in Japan.

“I want to show through our wedding photos that being LGBT is normal”

— Misato Kawasaki

Kawasaki, who studies alongside Otaki at Utsunomiya University’s Faculty of International Studies, told Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun she wanted “to show through our wedding photos that being lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) is normal so that those who are troubled by their sexual status can harbour hope.”

Several months after they started dating in late 2017, Kawasaki proposed to Otaki, asking her: “Will you stay with me forever?”

The lesbian pair has held a ceremonial wedding in Japan that wasn’t legal (faavo)

She said that she had wanted to pose the classic question, asking her partner: “Will you marry me?”

But despite queer unions being recognised in some areas of the country, there is no recognition of same-sex marriage on a national level in Japan, meaning that she felt unable to ask Otaki to marry her.

The lesbian couple aren’t the only LGBT+ people campaigning for the country to recognise marriage equality. 10 LGBT+ couples plan on filing a lawsuit against the Japanese government in February in a bid for recognition.

Lesbian pair has raised thousands for campaign

Kawasaki and Otaki, who want to establish a wedding company in Japan for same-sex partners when they get back, are crowdfunding to afford their tour.

They will land in the UK in March before travelling through Europe, Africa, North America and South America.

They estimate that just the transport and accommodation costs alone will cost them 4.14 million yen (£30,000), and are trying to raise a million yen (£7,300) to help subsidise their journey.

So far, they’ve raised around a third of the total.

The lesbian students become activists

The women said they were both aware of their sexualities during high school.

• Nov 29

56 celebrities you didn’t know are gay, bisexual or lesbian