careful consideration." In July 2019, the Japan Federation of Bar Associations submitted a paper in support of same-sex marriage to the Minister of Justice, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the House of Councillors. The paper states that Article 24 does not ban such marriages as "the notion of same-sex marriage was beyond the scope of assumption at the time of [Article 24's] enactment", and that prohibiting it constitutes a breach of human rights, urging the National Diet to legalize same-sex marriage. Political support and legislation The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), the Japanese Communist Party (JCP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Reiwa Shinsengumi, as well as the junior coalition partner Komeito support same-sex marriage. The conservative Nippon Ishin no Kai also supports same-sex marriage, but believes a constitutional amendment is necessary to legalize it. Individual lawmakers from the Liberal Democratic Party, including the former Minister of Defense and for Foreign Affairs, Taro Kono, and the former Minister of Agriculture, Ken Saitō, and from the Democratic Party for the People (including party leader Yuichiro Tamaki), have also expressed their personal support for same-sex marriage. In December 2018, the CDP announced it would introduce a bill in 2019 to amend the Civil Code to legalise same-sex marriage. The bill was submitted by the CDP, the JCP and the SDP on 3 June 2019. It seeks to adopt gender-neutral language, with the terms "party of marriage" being used rather than "husband" and "wife", and "parents" rather than "father and mother". In June 2019, the CDP added the legalisation of same-sex marriage and ending discrimination against the LGBT community to their party platform ahead of the 2019 House of Councillors election. In September 2020, the Nagaokakyō City Assembly adopted a motion urging the National Diet to discuss the legalization of same-sex marriage. Supporters of same-sex marriage hope the introduction of the partnership oath system in numerous municipalities will encourage parliamentarians to legalise same-sex marriage. The LGBT organisation Marriage for All Japan has also organised signature gatherings and meetings with lawmakers from across the political spectrum. The organisation notes in particular that the COVID-19 pandemic has made same-sex couples more "vulnerable" and "anxious", as they cannot visit each other in hospitals nor are they entitled to any legal recognition if one of the partners were to die. In January 2023, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida