Wednesday, a Japanese court ruled that not recognizing same-sex marriage is against the constitution, in a precedent in the country that activists advocating for equal rights have deemed a victory.

The Court of First Instance in Sapporo said that the failure to recognize same-sex marriage contradicts Article 14 of the constitution, which states that "all citizens are equal before the law," according to a copy of its decision seen by AFP.

Japan is the last country in the G7 leading industrialized countries not to recognize same-sex marriage. The state considers that a connection of this kind is "not stipulated" in the 1947 Constitution, as its articles call for the "mutual consent between the two sexes," which opens the way for many interpretations.

This ruling is the first to be issued within the framework of lawsuits against the Japanese state that dozens of same-sex couples filed in 2019 to obtain legal recognition of their marriage.

"I couldn't hold back my tears," one of the prosecutors told reporters. He added, "The court looked at our problem sincerely and I think it really took a good decision."

Opposition-elect Kanako Otsuji, one of the rare political figures open to gay marriage, said in a tweet on Twitter that she was "really happy" with this decision.

She added, "I call on parliament, as a legislative branch of the state, to discuss a proposal to amend the Civil Status Law to make (gay marriage) possible."