Plaintiffs outside the district court in Osaka, Japan, on June 20.
The court ruled that the country's ban on same-sex marriage does not violate the Constitution.
(CNN) --
Japan's same-sex marriage ban is not unconstitutional, a court has ruled, dealing a blow to gay couples and activists seeking greater rights for the LGBTQ community.
The Osaka District Court on Monday dismissed a lawsuit in which three same-sex couples asked the government for compensation of 1 million yen (about US$7,400) per person, arguing that the lack of recognition of same-sex marriages violated their constitutional right to equality.
But the court sided with the government, ruling that under the constitution the definition of marriage does not extend to same-sex couples, public broadcaster NHK reported.
The Osaka court's ruling dashed the hopes of gay rights activists, who are pressing the government to reconsider its opposition to same-sex marriage.
In which countries is same-sex marriage legal?
Where was it legal first?
The Osaka court's ruling contrasts with a landmark ruling handed down by the Sapporo district court, in Hokkaido prefecture, northern Japan, in March 2021.
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On that occasion, the Sapporo court ruled that the government's failure to recognize same-sex marriage violated the constitutional right to equality, although it had also dismissed a similar claim for damages.
Japan remains the only country in the Group of Seven (G7) that has recognized neither civil unions nor same-sex marriage at the national level.
However, in some parts of the country "partnership certificates" are issued that grant some rights to same-sex couples, such as allowing them to rent property and have visitation rights in hospitals.
Same-sex marriages in Asia
Japan, where homosexuality has been legal since 1880, is relatively liberal compared to some Asian nations.
For example, gay sex remains illegal in Singapore despite growing calls to change the colonial-era law.
India's Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that gay sex is no longer a crime.
However, the country does not recognize same-sex marriages.
China also does not recognize same-sex marriages despite growing awareness of LGBTQ issues in the country.
While there are no laws against same-sex relationships in the country, it remains a taboo subject that is routinely discussed and even censored on social media.
However, in some corners of Asia there have been recent advances in the matter.
In 2019, the self-governing island of Taiwan became the first place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.
And this month, Thailand came a step closer to becoming the first place in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex unions, when lawmakers passed four different bills aimed at providing greater rights for same-sex couples, such as ability to adopt children and jointly manage assets.
Gay marriage