The Japanese electronics giant Panasonic announced Thursday that it will begin recognizing the same-sex marriages of its employees. The company, which employs more than 200,000 people, is one of the first major Japan-based firms to institute such a policy.
Three municipal governments, two of which are in Tokyo, have recently began recognizing same-sex partnerships. Acceptance of the Japanese LGBT community seems to be growing in a country where, according to Reuters, “being openly gay largely remains taboo.”
The company stated that the policy change came as a part of a review that was prompted by employee requests and its sponsorship of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The group continues to review its code of conduct as it considers adding a provision barring discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.