As the Associated Press explains, Panasonic is a sponsor of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which has a clause opposing discrimination by sexual orientation by its partners. As such, the company will alter its in-house definition on what constitutes marriages and spouses in order to provide benefits such as health insurance. According to the Mainichi Shimbun, the only other tech firm that offers similar consideration to same-sex couples is IBM's Japanese arm, which pays marriage and relocation expenses.

The Verge adds that Japan has no official recognition for same-sex marriage, but two wards in Tokyo began granting certificates last year. The documents enable couples to get the same rights on hospital visitation and property renting that heterosexual pairings are entitled to. Unfortunately, this paperwork isn't valid elsewhere in the country, although let's hope that where Panasonic leads, others will follow.