Most of Tokyo's wards are hesitant to follow Shibuya and Setagaya in proposing or considering certificates to declare same-sex unions as having equivalent-to-marriage status, a survey by The Japan Times has found.
In the survey of the capital's other 21 wards, 18 said they don't intend to issue such certificates and two — Koto and Suginami — declined to answer.
Responding to a separate question on whether the ward governments are considering measures to recognize same-sex unions other than through certificates, 19 said no, with some citing legal hurdles and lack of demand. Suginami Ward declined to answer.