This is Exchanges at Goldman Sachs, where we discuss developments currently shaping markets, industries, and the global economy.

I'm Jake Stewart, Global Head of Corporate Communications here at the firm, and for today's

episode I'm delighted to welcome colleagues from our Tokyo office.

We're going to have a different kind of podcast. We're going to be talking

about the significance of a recent court ruling that backed same-sex marriages in

Japan and the broader evolution of LGBTQ plus rights in Japan and across all of Asia.

To do that, I'm joined by three of my colleagues

from the Tokyo office.

My guests are Hiroki Anaba,

who's a VP in the legal department,

and head of the Tokyo LGBT-plus network.

Also by Masa Yana Gisawa, who is the head of Prime Services at the firm in Japan,

and also co-C-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-T-Kuda who has been an active ally of the LjibT-Q- plus community in Tokyo and in Asia and also runs

H. C. M. which is HR in many people's parlance and the executive office for

Japan for Goldman. She's also co-head of the Federation there.

So Hiroki, Masa, and Akiko, thank you very much for joining us today and welcome to the

program. Thank you. Thank you for having us. Thank you. All right so Japan remains really the only G7 country that has not traditionally recognized same sex relationships,

but that may be changing given last month's court decision which said that Japan's failure

to recognize same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.

Masa let's start with you what is the legal significance the practical significance of

that ruling?

It was a milestone event for Japan in every aspect,

...