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Japan

Monthly Updates

November 2022

A Tokyo District Court ruled on 30 November that Japan's ban on same-sex marriage was not unconstitutional and dismissed a case sought by same-sex couples claiming the law provisions violated their freedom of marriage right, guaranteed in the constitution. While endorsing a discriminatory provision is discouraging, human rights analysts point to a glimmer of hope in the court's acknowledgement that the "absence of a legal system for same-sex couples to have a family infringes on their human rights." 

October 2022

Japanese cabinet ministers on 14 October approved repealing a discriminatory 19th-century law requiring pregnant women seeking a divorce to wait at least 100 days before remarrying, supposedly imposed to avoid paternity disputes. The revised civil code will be submitted to the parliamentary session that ends on 10 December, with changes expected to be enacted in 2024.

Explore past monthly updates

GSoD Indices Data 2012-2021

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Basic Information

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Population Tooltip
125 681 590
System of government
Parliamentary system
Head of government
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (since 2021)
Head of government party
Liberal Democratic Party
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
Parallel
Women in lower or single chamber
9.9%
Women in upper chamber
25.8%
Last legislative election
2022
Effective number of political parties Tooltip
4.22
Head of state
Emperor Naruhito
Selection process for head of state
Hereditary or election by hereditary state rulers
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
14/11/2017
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
66.82%
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Human Rights Treaties

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State Party State party
Signatory Signatory
No Action No action
United Nations Human Right Treaties
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
State Party
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
State Party
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
State Party
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
State Party
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment
State Party
Convention on the Rights of the Child
State Party
International Convention on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
No Action
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance 
State Party
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
State Party
International Labour Organisation Treaties
Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention
State Party
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention
State Party
Equal Remuneration Convention
State Party
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
No Action
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
No Action
Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
State Party
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
State Party
in
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Early Warning System BETA

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Low risk of democratic breakdown Low risk of democratic breakdown (BETA)
Low risk of democratic backsliding Low risk of democratic backsliding (BETA)

Attributes Over Time

Representative government neutral Representative Government
Sep 2022
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2023
Representative government neutral Fundamental rights
Sep 2022
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2023
Representative government neutral Checks on government
Sep 2022
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2023
Representative government neutral Impartial administration
Sep 2022
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2023
Representative government neutral Participatory engagement
Sep 2022
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2023

GSoD Indices

Regime type
0 10