Lesbian couple Ai Nakajima and Kristina Baumann are fighting to have their marriage recognised in Japan - and they're taking the matter all the way to court.
Married in Germany, Baumann's home country, the pair initially applied for a Japanese marriage certificate at a local government office in Yokohama, Japan, but were denied.
Now the couple are joining forces with 10 other same-sex couples, suing the national Japanese government for damages.
"We are facing a reality where [a same-sex couple] cannot get married in Japan yet," Nakajima said in an interview with .
She added: "We would like to challenge the current situation with the lawsuit, which will also be helpful for a number of sexual minority people."
The stakes are even higher for Nakajima and Baumann, with Baumann living in Japan on a student visa.
"If I cannot find a job after graduating from the vocational school, I will have to return to Germany," Baumann said.
"For a foreign same-sex couple, whose national government allows same-sex couples to get married, one will be issued a specified visa for designated activities under the condition that their partner has already been residing in Japan and bringing them over."
She continued: "A specified visa provides for more stability than a student visa. This is unfair and discriminatory."
According to , a 2015 opinion poll found that a majority of Japanese citizens are in support of same-sex marriage. Still, it remains unlawful.
