Frustrated by Japan's same-sex marriage ban, LGBTQ couples opt for 'photo weddings'

TOKYO/YOKOHAMA, Japan — Unable to get married legally in Japan, LGBTQ couples are celebrating their special bond by donning traditional kimonos and fashionable formal wear for elaborate "photo weddings".

But these carefully choreographed images are often kept hidden in this conservative society where many LGBTQ people say they face prejudice and stigma, even from their own families.

Reuters spent eight months documenting photo weddings by studio Onestyle in Tokyo and neighbouring Yokohama. The couples spoke to Reuters and allowed their pictures to be taken on condition their identities were protected due to concerns they may face discrimination.

"Not everyone, like my parents or friends, know about our relationship. We thought it would be nice if we could leave a tangible memory just for the two of us," said a 40-year old female office worker who posed with her 35-year old partner in matching wedding dresses at a studio in Yokohama in November.

She said they had struggled to find a studio that would accommodate a same-sex couple for the shoot, which they did on the day they submitted an application to enter a partnership agreement with their local council.

Japan is the only member of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialised nations that does not recognise same-sex marriage or provide legal protections for LGBTQ people, despite polls showing public support and court rulings that have deemed its stance unconstitutional.

While hundreds of municipalities throughout Japan, covering more than 80 per cent of the population, allow same-sex couples to enter into partnership agreements, their rights are limited.

Partners cannot inherit each others' assets or have parental rights to each others' children. Being able to visit their