‘We are so far behind’: Japan laments lack of progress on same-sex marriage

Barely a year has passed since the Tokyo Olympics were promoted as a celebration of diversity. In June, the Japanese capital became the latest city to recognise same-sex partnerships, and recent upper house elections featured a record four candidates from the LGBT community.

Yet Japan’s official resistance to same-sex unions is as fierce as ever.

It is the only country in the G7 that denies LGBT couples the right to marry, three years after…