How friendship marriages fill a gap for Japan's ‘comrades in arms'
'Friendship marriages' are on the increase in Japan, and appeal to those who want the benefits of marriage without the intimacy. As same-sex marriages and civil unions are not legally recognised, friendship marriages have filled the gap to some extent.
For a couple living in western Japan, traditional marriage was at odds with their sexual orientation. The husband has romantic feelings toward women but is sexually attracted only to men. After his father said he wanted grandchildren, he looked into friendship marriages.
He met his wife, who is attracted only
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