Tokyo’s Setagaya ward has said it may follow Shibuya’s lead and recognize gay relationships as ‘equivalent to marriage,’ days after its neighbor announced a vote on the issue.

Mayor Nobuto Hosaka said Sunday (15 February) at a coming-of-age ceremony for LGBTI youth that Shibuya’s move to had prompted Setagaya to examine its own policies toward gay couples.

‘We will strive to create a society that values diversity and respects human rights,’ he tweeted.

On Thursday, Shibuya announced plans to issue legally non-binding certificates to gay couples. If the municipal assembly approves the statute, the ward will become the first local government in Japan to recognize same-sex couples.

The constitution defines marriage as ‘based only on the mutual consent of both sexes,’ but a Shibuya ward official told Kyodo news agency that the certificate plan would be ‘a completely separate system’ from marriage.

Setagaya is Tokyo’s most populous ward and is known for its sensitivity to its LGBTI residents.

The ward operates a hotline for sexual minorities and holds annual seminars for officials on LGBTI equality.