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▼ Same-Sex Marriage, Surname Support Get Japan Election Tech Leg-Up
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Voters in Japan now can find out whether candidates support same-sex marriage and separate surnames for married couples by simply pointing a smartphone camera at campaign posters for the upcoming national upper house election.
The system, launched Thursday, was developed by advocacy groups in hope the new initiative would lead to better informed voters on the debates many consider to involve basic human rights.
When accessing the Marriage Vision website, smartphone screens will display one or both of "I support same-sex marriage" and "I support marriage with separate surnames" when candidates have expressed their backing.
If a candidate opposes same sex marriage or any change that would allow married couples to have different surnames, nothing will appear on screen, according to the system developed by Marriage For All Japan and Asuniwa, which campaigns for a change in the rules around surnames.
To develop the system, members of the groups took photos of posters of candidates nationwide after official campaigning for the July 20 House of Councillors election began and linked the images with responses given in a survey on the two contentious issues.
If a candidate did not respond to the survey, the smartphone screen will not display any message, even if they have publicly expressed support for either issue.
At an event held at Doshisha University in Kyoto where people trialed the system using posters of fictitious candidates, third-year student Ayaka Sato said the tool is helpful.
"Society would be less divided if it stood by minorities," Sato, 21, said.
First-year student Haruki Mimori, 19, said, "It would become easier to vote" if candidates' stances on other issues were also communicated this way.
Asuniwa representative Naho Ida said, "I want people to vote in a way that makes them feel that they have changed society with their own hands."
The Justice Ministry says Japan is believed to be the only country that requires couples to adopt the same surname upon marriage.
It is the only Group of Seven country that has not legalized same-sex marriage or civil unions.
The system, launched Thursday, was developed by advocacy groups in hope the new initiative would lead to better informed voters on the debates many consider to involve basic human rights.
When accessing the Marriage Vision website, smartphone screens will display one or both of "I support same-sex marriage" and "I support marriage with separate surnames" when candidates have expressed their backing.
If a candidate opposes same sex marriage or any change that would allow married couples to have different surnames, nothing will appear on screen, according to the system developed by Marriage For All Japan and Asuniwa, which campaigns for a change in the rules around surnames.
To develop the system, members of the groups took photos of posters of candidates nationwide after official campaigning for the July 20 House of Councillors election began and linked the images with responses given in a survey on the two contentious issues.
If a candidate did not respond to the survey, the smartphone screen will not display any message, even if they have publicly expressed support for either issue.
At an event held at Doshisha University in Kyoto where people trialed the system using posters of fictitious candidates, third-year student Ayaka Sato said the tool is helpful.
"Society would be less divided if it stood by minorities," Sato, 21, said.
First-year student Haruki Mimori, 19, said, "It would become easier to vote" if candidates' stances on other issues were also communicated this way.
Asuniwa representative Naho Ida said, "I want people to vote in a way that makes them feel that they have changed society with their own hands."
The Justice Ministry says Japan is believed to be the only country that requires couples to adopt the same surname upon marriage.
It is the only Group of Seven country that has not legalized same-sex marriage or civil unions.
- 10/7 15:58
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