Fridae

Last month Panasonic became the first major Japanese company to announce moves to recognise same-sex relationships.

Panasonic said it was reviewing changes to its code of conduct that would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation.

“Panasonic is considering a range of benefits for same-sex couples including wedding leave, although the details have not yet been decided” a spokeswoman said.

The policy begins on April 1 and will see the recognition of same sex partnerships as equivalent to marriage although it is not yet clear how it will be implemented in each country.

The review was prompted by requests from its employees, global trends, and its status as a sponsor of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she added.

“I never felt this much how different a response can get by nation,” Tetsuya Senmatsu, a human resources manager, told Japan Today on Friday.

Senmatsu said the main reason for the policy is that the company opposes all forms of discrimination. The possibility that it might be a plus for recruiting talent was not what drove the decision, he said.