A Japanese court upheld the country’s same-sex marriage ban on Monday, ruling the prohibition to be constitutional.
The ruling was handed down by the Osaka District Court, which rejected claims that the national ban on gay marriage violated Japan’s constitution and dismissed claims by three couples.
The claimants, two gay and one lesbian couple, had sued for one million yen ($7,400) per couple.
LGBT activists had hoped that the case would lead to a precedent-setting ruling, in line with the ruling by a court in Sapporo, Japan in response to a similar suit.
As with most East Asian countries – with the notable exception of Taiwan – same-sex marriage is not recognized in Japan.
But activists have pressed for change at both the local and national level, with varying degrees of success.
Last Wednesday, the city government of Tokyo moved to recognize same-sex partnerships.
While the change does not alter the status of same-sex marriages, the change extends some legal rights of married couples to same-sex partnerships.
Eight other Japanese prefectures, out of 47 total in the country, have adopted the change.