Same-sex marriage and the question of queerness – institutional performativity and marriage in Japan

Abstract

In 2015, Shibuya ward became the first district in Japan to start issuing same-sex partnership certificates, signifying the first step towards public recognition of same-sex couples in Japan. Same-sex marriage in Japan has been a contentious issue, with opponents arguing that it will end up supporting the patriarchal and discriminatory family registry system. Marriage nevertheless serves as an important means of recognition in society, and there are many queer individuals who aspire towards it. Using the concept of institutional performativity, this article discusses the social significance of marriage, and how same-sex marriage may serve as a means of “queering” hierarchical social structures.

Keywords:

• Same-sex marriage
• koseki
• queer
• Japan

Notes

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The term “liberal media” is one that Sugita uses, which can be taken to refer to left-leaning newspapers such as the Asahi Shimbun and Mainichi Shimbun, although from her use of the term it can also be inferred to indicate any media outlet that shares views not neatly aligned with socially conservative norms.

2 The survey only takes into consideration the existence of heterosexual individuals; neither same-sex marriage nor non-heterosexual individuals are mentioned.

3 As a 2015 court decision made evident. See for example McCurry (2015).

4 Again, the survey only takes into consideration the existence of heterosexual individuals; neither same-sex marriage nor non-heterosexual individuals are mentioned.

5 In my research, I ask individuals to state which pronouns they use or prefer. I also explain that I will produce research in English, which makes third-person pronouns imperative. Most of my informants were not proficient in English. Although in some cases they did not have a preference for a pronoun, they did specify the use of a feminine (in which case I used she/her), masculine (he/him), or gender neutral (they/them) pronoun. Unlike most of my informants, Tachibana said that they did not mind any pronouns, and I as such settled for the use of “they,” inadvertently (de?)gendering them in the process.

6 My research focuses on how individuals construct x-gender identity, and what this identity means for each individual. For Tachibana specifically, being x-gender was a means of both distancing themselves from the social expectations of being a woman and providing a means of self-expression. They also said that they did not identify as lesbian, as they understood a lesbian to be a feminine woman, which they did not view themselves as.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

S. P. F. Dale

S. P. F. Dale is a visiting researcher at Sophia University and specializes in gender and sexuality studies, queer studies, sociology, and minority issues in Japan. Dale received a PhD in Global Studies from Sophia University and has taught at Hitotsubashi University and Sophia University as well as other institutions in Tokyo. Her research has focused on x-gender and non-binary identity in Japan.