2025 Theses Master's

Harmony in Conflict: The Power of Reframing in Japan’s Marriage Equality Movement

Yagi, Phoebe

Despite over 30 countries legalizing marriage equality, Japan remains the only G7 nation that does not recognize the marriage rights of same-sex couples. Consequently, sexual minorities in Japan do not have access to inheritance rights, spousal visas, or mutual custody of children. The OECD further highlighted this in 2020, ranking Japan’s legislation as the second-worst out of 35 nations in LGBTQIA+ inclusivity. Moreover, high rates of suicidal ideation among LGBTQIA+ individuals indicate the broader consequences of legal exclusion. Activists contend that the lack of marriage rights represents Japan’s violation of the human dignity of sexual minorities.

This study examines the role of social movement actors in navigating this issue, using a single case study analysis of Marriage for All Japan, a marriage equality activist organization. It employs Marriage for All Japan as a representative case of social movement actors to analyze how they use reframing strategies of fixing, shrinking, stretching, and bending to align their advocacy with Japan’s socio-political landscape. Its analysis highlights how the organization tailors its initiatives to address specific legal, political, and social issues.

This study underlines how local advocacy efforts can effectively localize and reframe international human rights principles to align with local contexts, identifying its pivotal role in advancing human rights. It aims to provide a method for grassroots initiatives to effect change in environments with similar settings, especially concerning LGBTQIA+ advocacy in non-Western regions.