Same-sex partnership certificate issued in Japan

A municipality in Japan's capital of Tokyo on Thursday issued a certificate to a same-sex couple recognising their partnership as equivalent to marriage.

It's the first municipality in Japan to do so, public broadcaster NHK reported.

Same-sex couples aged 20 or older residing in the Shibuya municipality can apply for a certificate by submitting documents from a notary public.

The certificate is not legally binding, as Japan's Constitution does not recognise same-sex marriage.

But it obliges residents and businesses in Shibuya to treat certificate holders the same as married couples.