Japan does not recognize same-sex marriages or civil unions. It is the only country in the G7 that does not legally recognize same-sex unions in any form. Several municipalities and prefectures issue symbolic same-sex partnership certificates, which provide some benefits, but do not offer equal legal recognition. Most polls conducted since 2013 have found that a majority of Japanese people support the legalization of same-sex marriage or partnerships, and a 2018 poll found it supported by an overwhelming majority of those under age 60. Politically, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the Japanese Communist Party, the Social Democratic Party, Reiwa Shinsengumi, and Komeito support legalizing same-sex marriage. Nippon Ishin no Kai also supports legalizing same-sex marriage, but believes a constitutional amendment is necessary to legalize it. However, the Liberal Democratic Party, which has been in power almost continuously since 1958, remains opposed to it.

On 20 June 2022, a district court in Osaka upheld the constitutionality of the same-sex marriage ban. Previously, on 17 March 2021, a district court in Sapporo had ruled it unconstitutional, arguing that laws or regulations that deprive same-sex couples of the legal benefits of marriage constitute "discriminatory treatment without a rational basis" and as such violate Article 14 of the Constitution of Japan. The Sapporo court also ruled that Article 24 of the Constitution, which defines marriage as "based only on the mutual consent of both sexes", does not prohibit the recognition of same-sex marriages. In May 2023, a district court in Nagoya ruled the same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional. While the Sapporo and Nagoya rulings did not legalise same-sex marriage in Japan, it is anticipated that they may pressure the National Diet to act.

Partnership certification system

As of 1 November 2023, 344 municipalities and nineteen prefectures have established a "partnership oath system" (, , ), also known as "partnership certification system" (, ), which provides same-sex couples with some limited benefits. The couple is issued a special certificate which may be useful in matters such as housing, hospital visitation rights and consenting to surgery for a partner. However, the system is not legally binding and there is no legal obligation on landlords or hospitals to honour the couples' rights even if presented with a certificate, though cities have encouraged companies, hospitals and landlords to recognize the certificate. The various benefits provided by the system are also very limited in comparison to those granted to married couples; same-sex couples cannot inherit the estate and property of a deceased partner or attend the funeral of a deceased partner for instance. Partners must meet certain requirements, including living in the municipality or prefecture, being older than 20 years of age, and not having a spouse or another partner. Numerous other municipalities have also established a "partnership family system" (, ). This system also recognises the children of same-sex couples, and allows partners to make medical decisions for their child, and to pick up their children at schools and kindergartens (whereas previously only the biological parent was allowed to pick up the child). The first to establish this system was Akashi, Hyōgo in January 2021 followed by Tokushima in February 2021 and Adachi, Tokyo in April 2021. Tokyo established a partnership system with a similar option in November 2022, becoming the first prefectural government to do so.

Municipal partnership systems
On April 1, 2015, Shibuya in central Tokyo announced it would offer same-sex couples special "partnership certificates". While these licenses are not legally recognized as marriage certificates, they may be used in civil matters such as hospital visitation rights and housing. The Shibuya city office began accepting applications on 28 October 2015. In response to this action by the Shibuya city office, the "Special Committee to Protect Family Ties" (, ) of the federal ruling Liberal Democratic Party was formed in March 2015 to discuss the matter. An officer from the Ministry of Justice who was invited to comment stated that the action by Shibuya is legal because the certificate issued is not a marriage certificate and the current Japanese legal code does not prohibit the "partnership" of same-sex couples. In July 2015, Setagaya announced it would be joining Shibuya in issuing partnership certificates from 5 November. In November 2015, the special city of Takarazuka announced it would issue partnership certificates to same-sex couples beginning on 1 June 2016. In December 2015, the city of Iga in Mie Prefecture made a similar announcement, with certificates starting on 1 April 2016, and on 22 February 2016, Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture, announced it would begin issuing partnership certificates to same-sex couples on 8 July 2016.

In April 2016, an LGBT rights group began a campaign for the official recognition of same-sex couples in Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido Prefecture. The group took its petition to the Sapporo City Government in June 2016. In December 2016, officials announced that Sapporo planned to draw up guidelines by March 2017. In March, the City Government announced that partnership certificates would be issued to couples beginning on 1 June 2017. While the certificates hold no legal meaning, some insurance companies use them to allow same-sex partners to be added as beneficiaries. According to the city, about 1,500 people expressed opinions welcoming the program, while some opposed it. Sapporo became the first designated city in Japan to establish a partnership system. On 14 February 2018, the Fukuoka city office announced plans to start issuing partnership certificates to same-sex and different-sex couples from 2 April 2018. Osaka followed suit on 9 July 2018, and Chiba on 29 January 2019. Nakano began offering partnership certificates on 20 August 2018. Couples can receive notarized documentation recognizing a delegation agreement for medical treatment and nursing care, property management and other areas in which married couples share responsibility.

The number of cities which have established a partnership registry has steadily increased in the years since. 21 cities established a same-sex partnership system in 2019, notably Kitakyushu, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Nagasaki, Sakai, Yokohama, and Yokosuka. 36 more cities followed suit in 2020, including Hamamatsu, Kawasaki, Kyoto, Minato, Nara, Niigata, Okayama, Sagamihara, Saitama, and Takamatsu. 69 more cities followed in 2021, notably Adachi, Chigasaki, Fujisawa, Funabashi, Hiroshima, Kanazawa, Kōchi, Koshigaya, Nishinomiya, and Toyota. 107 cities established a partnership system in 2022, including Akita, Kagoshima, Nagano, Nagoya, and Shizuoka. On 1 April 2023, Kagawa became the first prefecture in which all municipalities had created their own registries, despite lacking a prefecture-wide registry; Kanagawa became the second by 1 July 2023.

Prefectural partnership systems

In January 2019, the Government of Ibaraki Prefecture announced it was considering introducing a partnership system for same-sex couples in April 2019. In March 2019, Governor Kazuhiko Ōigawa expressed his personal support for the introduction of such a scheme. The Ibaraki Prefectural Assembly began examing legislation to this effect in June 2019. The prefecture has offered partnership certificates since July 1, 2019, which made it the first prefecture to do so. Eight days later, Mito, the prefectural capital, announced that couples who are in the possession of the prefecture's certificates would be eligible to move into the municipality's public housing facilities, starting in August 2019.

On 15 January 2020, Osaka Prefecture announced it would start a partnership system on January 22. Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura said in a statement that "we should aim for a society where one can live as themselves". The first couple to receive a certificate were Shuji Yamada and Shigeo Hiruda on 31 January. The certificate allows couples to apply to move into prefectural housing and consent to surgery, among other limited benefits. Five cities in Osaka had already established such a system before it was extended to the entire prefecture. Gunma Prefecture announced on 5 November 2020 that it would introduce a partnership system by the end of the year. The system would provide same-sex couples with some limited recognition, including the right to move into prefectural housing and visit each other in hospitals. Governor Ichita Yamamoto said he hoped the move would "send a positive message" and "promote diversity". On 17 December, Yamamoto announced the system would be established on 21 December. The first certificate was issued to couple Saori Tanaka and Hisanagi Makita in Shibukawa on 24 December.

On 20 November 2020, Governor Eikei Suzuki of Mie Prefecture announced his intention to introduce a partnership system before the end of the year. The system was introduced on 1 September 2021, with the first couple issued a certificate that same day in Tsu. Saga Prefecture started its partnership oath system a few days earlier, on 27 August 2021. Governor Yoshinori Yamaguchi praised the move. In November 2021, the government of Aomori Prefecture announced its intention to introduce a partnership system on 7 February 2022. A partnership oath system has also been in effect in Akita and Fukuoka prefectures since 1 April 2022. On 15 February 2022, Governor Tomikazu Fukuda of Tochigi Prefecture announced he would introduce a partnership system in fall 2022; it was established on 1 September 2022.

On 7 June 2021, the General Affairs Committee of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly unanimously accepted a petition, launched by LGBT activists and signed by 18,000 people, to establish a partnership system in Tokyo Metropolis. Governor Yuriko Koike expressed her support for the move, stating it would "respect the human rights of sexual minorities and promote the understanding of Tokyo citizens regarding diversity". The bill was enacted by the Metropolitan Assembly on 15 June 2022. It calls on businesses and other entities to treat same-sex partnerships as equal to married couples, allowing couples to access family-use housing and the right to visit their partners in hospital. At least one partner must be resident in Tokyo or a commuter for work. It came into force on 1 November, with applications being accepted from 10 October, making Tokyo the tenth prefecture to do so.

Governor Hajime Furuta of Gifu Prefecture announced on 10 December 2020 that he was considering establishing a partnership system in the prefecture. Governor Heita Kawakatsu of Shizuoka Prefecture announced on 1 September 2021 that he was also considering it by the end of 2022. The Deputy Governor of Toyama Prefecture voiced the same in December 2021. Both Shizuoka and Toyama prefectures established a partnership system on 1 March 2023.

The establishment of prefectural systems has often not precluded the subsequent establishments of municipal systems within the same prefecture.

Mutual recognition of certificates

Between cities
On October 30, 2019, the cities of Fukuoka and Kumamoto announced they would recognize each other's partnership certificates effective immediately. This marked the first time that two or more jurisdictions in Japan had begun recognizing each other's certificates, easing recognition for same-sex couples. This means that if a same-sex couple with a certificate moves between both cities they need not reapply for a certificate in their new city. Since 1 April 2020, certificates from Kitakyushu and Koga are also recognized between the four cities. Certificates from Okayama, Nichinan, and Karatsu are also recognised in Fukuoka.

On December 2, 2019, the mayor of Yokosuka announced his intention to establish a joint recognition scheme with the fellow Kanagawa cities of Zushi and Kamakura, taking effect on 1 April 2020. Hayama joined the scheme on 1 July 2020, and Miura joined on 1 January 2021. In July 2020, Okayama and Sōja agreed to mutually recognize their certificates and eliminate the need for new procedures when couples move between the two cities. Okayama reached a similar agreement with Fukuoka in November 2020 and Hiroshima in January 2021. Hiroshima and Akitakata also mutually recognize their certificates. The cities of Katano and Hirakata decided to recognize each other's certificates in June 2021. Since then, numerous other cities have also established such mutual recognition schemes. On 1 February 2022, a similar agreement took effect between Chigasaki, Fujisawa and Samukawa.

The cities of Chiba and Yokohama made a similar recognition agreement in January 2021, effective on 1 February 2021. In early April 2021, the cities and towns of Amagasaki, Ashiya, Inagawa, Itami, Kawanishi, Nishinomiya, Sanda and Takarazuka, all in Hyōgo Prefecture, agreed to recognize each other's certificates. Likewise, in May 2021, 12 municipalities in Tokyo, Adachi, Bunkyō, Edogawa, Fuchū, Koganei, Kokubunji, Kunitachi, Minato, Nakano, Setagaya, Shibuya and Toshima, agreed to mutually recognize their certificates. Upon establishing its own partnership registry in November 2022, Tokyo Metropolis recognized all partnerships previously registered in Tokyo's wards and cities. The cities of Chiba, Funabashi, Ichikawa, Matsudo, Kashiwa, and Narashino, all in Chiba prefecture, signed a mutual recognition agreement on July 11, 2023.

Eighteen cities in Aichi Prefecture signed an agreement to recognize each other's partnership certificates on October 17, 2023. On October 29, 2023, the Kanagawa Prefecture cities of Fujisawa, Yokohama and Isehara signed an agreement.

Between prefectures
On 18 August 2022, Saga and Ibaraki prefectures announced they would recognize each other's partnership certificates, becoming the first prefectures to do so. Saga Prefecture completed a similar agreement with Fukuoka on 24 November. On 20 December, mutual recognition was established between Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma prefectures. On 31 January 2023, Ibaraki signed an agreement with Mie. On September 4, 2023, Ibaraki signed an agreement with Toyama.

Between prefectures and external cities
On October 30, 2023, Ibaraki Prefecture and the city of Saitama, Saitama Prefecture signed an agreement to recognize each others' partnership registries.

List
As of 1 November 2023, the following 344 municipalities and nineteen prefectures have established a same-sex partnership oath system, comprising about 77% of the Japanese population.  In 20 further jurisdictions, such policies will soon take effect.

Future partnership systems

Measures to allow partnership certificates have been proposed in numerous areas, including the prefectures of Ishikawa, and Iwate; several administrative wards in Tokyo, such as Chiyoda, Chūō, Katsushika, Kōtō, Nerima, Shinjuku, and Taitō; and the cities of Tōgō, Hachinohe, Sodegaura, Matsuyama, Fukuyama, Kumano, Onomichi, Saka, Sera, Fukagawa, Kobe, Miki, Rikuzentakata, Nantan, Azumino, Nagayo, Kamo, Sado, Hayashima, Kumenan, Tamano, Itoman, Okinawa, Nago, Nanjō, Tomigusuku, Hanyū, Fujieda, Shimada, Higashimurayama, Komatsushima, Daisen,  Nichinan, Yazu, Yonago, Toyama, Hagi, Hirao, Iwakuni,  Niigata, and Shimonoseki,

Statistics
The first couple to receive a partnership certificate were Koyuki Higashi and Hiroko Masuhara in Shibuya on 5 November 2015. They were personally congratulated by Mayor Ken Hasebe. Later that day, Setagaya issued certificates to seven couples. By April 2017, 17 same-sex partnership certificates had been issued in Shibuya.

319 certificates had been issued in Japan by November 2018. This had increased to 617 by October 2019, to 1,052 by June 2020, to 1,301 by November 2020, to 2,018 by July 2021, and to 3,168 by June 2022, with most being issued in Osaka Prefecture followed by Tokyo, Kanagawa and Chiba prefectures.

Private-sector partnerships
As a private sector response to the lack of national recognition of same-sex partnerships, the Famiee Project created a digital blockchain-secured partnership registry in 2019. In order to receive a Famiee certificate, the couple must apply via a mobile app and will receive a digital certificate to be used as proof of familial status. The Famiee Project received the backing of at least 17 companies who will recognize the digital partnership certificate and treat a couple the same as a different-sex couple for banking and insurance purposes. The partnerships are not currently recognized by the Government of Japan, but aim to create pressure from the private sector for political action to expand LGBT rights in the country.

Same-sex marriage

Same-sex marriage (同性結婚, ) is not recognized in Japan. However, debate on the issue has emerged in recent years, with several political parties expressing support or openness to discuss the matter. Several lawsuits contesting the law barring same-sex marriage were filed in court in February 2019. In addition, numerous opinion surveys have shown high levels of support for same-sex marriage among the Japanese public, notably among women and the younger generation.

Background
On March 27, 2009, it was reported that Japan allows its nationals to marry same-sex foreign partners in countries where same-sex marriage is legal. Japan does not allow same-sex marriage domestically and had so far also refused to issue a document, which states that a person is single and of legal age and is required for citizens to wed overseas, if the applicant's intended spouse was of the same legal sex. Under the change, the Ministry of Justice instructed local authorities to issue the key certificate for those who want to have same-sex marriages.

In June 2011, the deputy head abbot of Kyoto's Shunkō-in Zen temple announced that the temple would perform same-sex marriage ceremonies as part of Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. Similarly, in April 2020, the deputy head abbot of Kawagoe's Saimyouji temple, announced that he would perform same-sex marriage ceremonies. Since 15 May 2012, Tokyo Disney Resort has allowed symbolic (not legally recognized) same-sex marriage ceremonies in its Cinderella's Castle hotel. Its first same-sex marriage was held on March 3, 2013, between Koyuki Higashi and her partner Hiroko Masuhara.

In March 2019, the Justice Ministry revoked a deportation order for a gay Taiwanese man who had remained in Japan illegally after overstaying his visa, giving consideration to his longtime same-sex relationship with a Japanese national. The ministry issued a special residence permit to the man, who had lived in Japan for about 25 years. The ministry's Immigration Bureau granted him a one-year resident visa after the Tokyo District Court suggested that it review the order.

Constitution
Article 24 of the Japanese Constitution states: "Marriage shall be based only on the mutual consent of both sexes and it shall be maintained through mutual cooperation with the equal rights of husband and wife as a basis." Previously, a couple in Japan could marry only if their respective head of household (the father, or in the absence of a father, the eldest son) consented to the union. As a result, arranged marriage was the dominant form of marriage. Those couples who could not obtain permission had to elope and stay in common-law marriage. The purpose of Article 24 of the Constitution was to assert freedom of consenting adults to marry, and to explicitly establish the equality of both sexes in marriage. Some legal scholars argue that because the intent behind the article was not in reference to same-sex marriage, it need not apply in legalising same-sex marriage. However, conservative lawmakers as well as legal scholars who take a literal approach to constitutional interpretation argue that such an argument is a stretch.

In February 2015, the National Diet debated whether same-sex marriage should be recognized under the Constitution. Kota Matsuda, a member of the House of Councillors, said, "We need to eliminate lifestyle difficulties for same-sex couples. A prerequisite to achieving this goal is dealing with Article 24 of the Constitution." Prime Minister Shinzō Abe expressed his opinion on the issue: "Extending the institution of marriage to same-sex couples was not anticipated under the current Constitution. It is an issue that concerns the very core of family values and, I believe, one that requires extremely 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 legalising same-sex marriage. Nippon Ishin no Kai (known in English as the Japan Innovation Party) also supports legalising 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. Another same-sex marriage bill was introduced to Parliament by the CDP in March 2023. The JCP introduced its own bill on 27 March 2023.

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 made the following statement about same-sex marriage during a parliamentary session: "We need to be extremely careful in considering the matter as it could affect the structure of family life in Japan". Kishida said in March 2023 that he did not think banning same-sex couples from marrying is "unjust discrimination".

Legal challenges

2020 Tokyo High Court ruling
On 4 March 2020, the Tokyo High Court ruled that cohabiting same-sex couples should be entitled to the same legal benefits as those granted to cohabiting heterosexual couples. This ruling provided legitimacy to the plaintiff's same-sex relationship, allowing the plaintiff to sue her lesbian partner of seven years for infidelity, a move that was previously restricted to heterosexual partners. The decision was upheld by the Supreme Court of Japan on 18 March 2021.

Sapporo, Osaka, Tokyo, and Nagoya district court rulings
In November 2018, several same-sex couples throughout the country announced their intention to file suit against the statutory same-sex marriage ban. In January 2019, about a dozen same-sex couples applied for marriage licenses at different city offices in Japan. Lawsuits contesting the same-sex marriage ban were filed by 13 couples on 14 February (Valentine's Day) in district courts in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Sapporo. Another three couples filed in Fukuoka a few months later.

On 17 March 2021, the district court in Sapporo issued a judgment finding that the law banning same-sex marriage violated the constitutional rights of same-sex couples, specifically Article 14 of the Constitution of Japan (which bans discrimination on the basis of "race, creed, sex, social status or family origin"). However, the court rejected the request of the six plaintiffs (two male couples and one female couple) for ¥1,000,000 (equivalent to about $9,000 or £6,480) per person for the denial. The court rejected the government's argument that Article 24 of the Constitution (which defines marriage as based on the "mutual consent of both sexes") limits marriage to opposite-sex couples; plaintiffs argued that this article actually only bars forced marriage. The Chief Cabinet Secretary, Katsunobu Katō, said at a press conference later that day that the Ministry of Justice would analyse the court ruling.

Similar arguments were raised in the Tokyo District Court case, in which hearings and oral arguments took place on several dates in 2019 and 2020. One of the plaintiff couples, Chizuka Oe and Yoko Ogawa, a couple for 25 years, argued that banning same-sex marriage violates articles 13 and 14 of the Constitution. Lawyers representing the couples believed the ruling from the Sapporo District Court was likely to have a positive impact on the outcome of the other cases. However, in June 2022, the Osaka District Court ruled that the ban on same-sex marriage is constitutional, and in November 2022, the Tokyo District Court ruled similarly. The Tokyo court did rule, however, that there should be some way for same-sex couples to protect themselves legally. The plaintiff couples in the Tokyo case appealed  the decision on December 13. On 30 May 2023, the Nagoya District Court ruled similarly to the Sapporo court, declaring the same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional, but rejected the plaintiffs' request for ¥1,000,000.

The Fukuoka court is expected to rule in June 2023.

Koseki
In Japan, each citizen is registered through the koseki system whereby an individual is registered as a part of a household (while in the West, a birth certificate can act as a proof of identity). Koseki registration performs a somewhat similar role to marriage in the West as it endows a member of the same koseki legal power (as next of kin) in dealing with civil matters such as inheritance, hospital visits or the right to organise a funeral. Therefore, registering each other as a part of the koseki works as a substitute for Western-style marriage. As a consequence, Japanese same-sex couples, in the absence of same-sex marriage or civil partnership laws, often use adoption procedures to register themselves as belonging to the same household (where the older partner legally adopts the younger partner, which in absence of a spouse makes the only adopted child the sole executor of that household).

Public opinion

A May 2013 Ipsos poll found that out of over a thousand Japanese adult interviewees 24% were in favor of same-sex marriage and another 27% supported other forms of recognition for same-sex couples. An April 2014 Ipsos poll found that 26% of respondents were in favor of same-sex marriage and 24% were in favor of some other form of recognition, such as civil unions. A May 2015 Ipsos poll found that 30% of respondents were in favour of same-sex marriage and a further 28% were in favour of some other form of recognition (meaning that 58% supported recognising same-sex couples in some form).

According to a survey by Nihon Yoron Chōsa-ka conducted on 1 and 2 March 2014, 42.3% of Japanese people supported same-sex marriage, while 52.4% opposed it. Another poll conducted by Fuji News Network in April 2015 showed that 59% of respondents supported the same-sex partnership certificate system proposed in Shibuya and 53% supported same-sex marriage, the first time a poll had found majority support for same-sex marriage in Japan. An additional poll conducted by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research in November 2015 showed a 51% majority in support of same-sex marriage, unions or partnerships, while 41% were opposed. People under the age of 20 were overwhelmingly in favor of same-sex marriage (72% support), whereas people aged 70 and over overwhelmingly opposed (24% support). A 2017 opinion poll released by the NHK showed that 51% of Japanese people supported same-sex marriage.

According to an opinion poll carried out by Dentsu in October 2018, 78.4% of Japanese people in their 20s to 50s were in favour of same-sex marriage. Support was higher among women (87.9%) than men (69.2%), and was higher among younger respondents: 87.3% for people in their 20s, 81.2% for people in their 30s, 77.5% for people in their 40s, and 72.5% for people in their 50s. The National Survey of Household Trends, a government survey carried out in 2018 and commissioned by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, asked Japanese married women about their views on legalizing same-sex marriage. 71.9% of respondents chose one of the two answers in favour of it. Levels of support were different between the different age groups: 92.1% for married women under the age of 30, 89.5% for those between the ages of 30 and 39, 83.2% for those between the ages of 40 and 49, 73.5% for those between 50 and 59, 59.3% for those between 60 and 69, and 42.2% for those aged 70 and higher.

A 2019 opinion survey conducted by the Hiroshima Shudo University and published in November 2020 showed that 64.8% of Japanese people supported same-sex marriage, while 30.0% were opposed. Attitudes varied greatly with age, with 81% of 20–30-year-olds supporting, followed by 74% of people in their 40s and 50s, and 47% of people in their 60s and 70s.

A joint survey by the University of Tokyo and The Asahi Shimbun, conducted between March and April 2020, showed that 46% of Japanese people favored same-sex marriage, 31% were neutral and 23% were opposed. Among supporters of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), support stood at 41% and opposition at 29%. This contrasted significantly with the opinions of LDP lawmakers, as a 2019 survey conducted shortly before the House of Councillors election showed that only 9% of LDP candidates supported same-sex marriage. Professor Masaki Taniguchi, who headed the survey, said it was rare to witness public opinion on a certain issue change so rapidly, noting that support had increased 14% from 2017. A March 2021 poll from The Asahi Shimbun found that 65% of Japanese people supported same-sex marriage, with support rising to 86% among 18–29-year-olds. A February 2023 Kyodo News poll showed that 64% of Japanese people supported same-sex marriage, while 25% were opposed. A poll conducted the same month by The Asahi Shimbun found that 72% of Japanese people supported same-sex marriage and 18% were opposed.

A March–April 2023 Kyodo News survey showed that 71% of Japanese people supported same-sex marriage, while 26% were opposed. Support was highest among respondents below the age of 30, at 85%. 62% of LDP voters also supported same-sex marriage.

See also
 Homosexuality in Japan
 Marriage in Japan
 LGBT rights in Japan
 LGBT rights in Tokyo
 Recognition of same-sex unions in Asia
 Same-sex union court cases

Notes

References

Japanese family law
LGBT rights in Japan
Marriage, unions and partnerships in Japan
Politics of Japan
Japan


The CGM Gallagher Group is the Caribbean's largest insurance broker. It has offices in Jamaica, Barbados, St. Vincent and St. Lucia.

In the Eastern Caribbean, CGM Insurance Brokers was the name of the insurance broking company which began in Barbados in 1980 out of the Willis Agency.  CGM began in Jamaica in 1971 as International Insurance Brokers Limited (IIB) evolving out of a partnership between the ICD Group, BNS and Hogg Robinson & Gardner Mountain Limited (Lloyds Brokers).

In 2004, CGM Insurance Brokers out of Barbados and IIB Jamaica merged to create the CGM Group with sole focus on commercial insurance segments. The majority of the Group’s shares are held by Jamaica-based ICD Group.

A year after the Barbados/Jamaica merger, the CGM Group established CGM Insurance Brokers St. Vincent Limited, which is now the largest brokerage in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. In 2007, Arthur J. Gallagher partnered with the Group to create the CGM Gallagher Group.
Soon after, CGM Gallagher established CGM Gallagher Insurance Brokers St. Lucia Limited.

It also operates CaribRM, a risk management company which is the Facility Supervisor of the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility - an insurance partnership between CARICOM and the World Bank. The CCRIF is the world's first multi-government regional parametric  catastrophe insurance facility.

WI-allrounder Brendan Nash is sponsored by the Group.

References

Insurance companies of Barbados
Insurance companies of Jamaica
Barbadian brands


Harttia carvalhoi is a species of armored catfish endemic to Brazil where it is found in the Paraíba do Sul drainage basin. This species grows to a length of  SL.

The fish is named in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist-herpetologist Antenor Leitão de Carvalho (1910-1985), who collected the type specimen.

References

carvalhoi
Fish of South America
Fish of Brazil
Endemic fauna of Brazil
Taxa named by Paulo de Miranda-Ribeiro
Fish described in 1939


Harttia depressa is a species of armored catfish endemic to Brazil where it is found in the Uatumã River basin. This species grows to a length of  SL.

References

External links

depressa
Fish of South America
Fish of Brazil
Endemic fauna of Brazil
Taxa named by Lúcia Helena Rapp Py-Daniel
Taxa named by Edinbergh Caldas de Oliveira
Fish described in 2001


One Brick is a 501(c)(3) non-profit service organization organized in twelve cities in the United States.

History

One Brick was founded in San Francisco in 2001.  The founders were three friends, who recognized that a large number of volunteers are put off the volunteer experience by the necessity to attend orientations and make a regular commitment to a particular organization.  The goal of One Brick is therefore to provide a sustainable volunteer pool to non-profit organizations by making the volunteer experience convenient and social.

With growth of the San Francisco chapter, new One Brick chapters were founded in New York (2002), Chicago (2004), Washington, DC (2006), Minneapolis (2008), Seattle (2009), Orlando (2010), Detroit (2011), Silicon Valley(2011), Philadelphia (2012), Los Angeles (2012), Boston (2012)  One Brick Builds (2017) and  New Orleans (2018).

Since it started, One Brick has contributed almost 630,000 volunteer hours (315 person years) to non-profit organizations in these cities.  One Brick has also hosted over 25 work teams in New Orleans where they have contributed to assisting reconstruction efforts for communities affected by Hurricane Katrina. In 2017 One Brick founded the new One Brick Builds chapter to assist rebuilding in New Orleans but also in other distant communities hit by natural disaster such as Baton Rouge, Columbia SC (Hurricane Joaquin), Wall Township NJ (Hurricane Sandy).

Structure

One Brick membership is open to individuals 21 or older.  Volunteers join through the organization's website, and are then able to register for One Brick events, which are listed on an online calendar.  Volunteers sign-up for events that interest them and fit within their schedules.  As the organization is built on the premise of "commitment-free volunteering," volunteers are not required to attend a minimum number of events.

One Brick 'event managers' liaise between volunteers and representatives of partner non-profits, and organize after-event socials.  The managers are volunteers who have undergone training to be able to coordinate the needs of the volunteers and non-profit partner organizations.  The primary role of the manager is to ensure that the volunteers know where and when an event is taking place and to provide records of which members attended an event to chapter management.

Within an individual One Brick chapter, a management team oversees administration.  These activities include reaching out to non-profit partners to set up new One Brick events, fundraising, and marketing.  The management team is staffed entirely by volunteers, who are typically experienced One Brick managers.  At the national level, One Brick is run by an Executive Director, who ensures collaboration between the chapters in different cities.

Activities

One Brick operates by connecting volunteers with non-profit partner organizations.  Over 1,600 organizations have partnered with One Brick, including Habitat for Humanity, American Heart Association, DC Central Kitchen, and the Greater Chicago Food Depository.  The exact activity performed by volunteers on the day of an event depends on the mission of the non-profit partner, but typical examples include sorting charitable contributions, preparing food for disadvantaged members of the community, assisting at fund-raising galas and helping to clean up parks and green spaces.  One Brick events usually last 3–4 hours.   After each event, the One Brick manager organizes a get-together for the volunteers to socialize. This social aspect is considered a key feature of the One Brick volunteer experience.

References

Service organizations based in the United States


The Harangi Dam is located near Hudgur village, Kushalnagar taluk in Kodagu district in the Indian state of Karnataka. The masonry dam is built across the river Harangi, a tributary of the Kaveri. The dam is located about 9 km away from the heart of Kushalnagar town.

The Harangi originates in the Pushpagiri Hills of Western Ghats in Kodagu, Karnataka. Heavy rainfall from the south-west monsoon is the source of water in the catchment area of Harangi river which is about 419.58 km2. The length of the Harangi from its origin to the confluence with the Kaveri river is 50 km. The Harangi joins the Kaveri near Kudige, 5 km north of Kushalnagar.

Hydroelectric Project
Harangi hydroelectric project was set up by Energy Development Company Limited (EDCL) on the Left bank of Harangi Dam, parallel to left bank irrigation canal. The 9 megawatt (2×4.5 MW) project was started in April  1997, and was fully into commercial operation by July 1999. It falls under the "Small" category of hydropower projects (3-25 MW).

Phase-II of the project is to install a 6 megawatt unit, currently under planning.

Harangi Elephant Camp(2022-present)

The third Elephant Camp in Kodagu at Harangi, which is the ninth elephant camp in Karnataka was inaugurated on October 10, 2022.

The State Government had released Rs. 80 lakh for the project that will ease the burden of the existing elephant camps. Already, Kodagu has two elephant camps, one at Dubare and another at Mathigodu near Anechowkur Gate that borders Mysuru. There are eight elephant camps in Karnataka including the two in Kodagu and the Harangi Camp will be the ninth in the State.

Gallery

Notes

External links
 Location on wikimapia

Dams in Karnataka
Buildings and structures in Kodagu district
Geography of Kodagu district
Year of establishment missing


Harttia dissidens is a species of armored catfish endemic to Brazil where it is found in the Tapajós River basin.  This species grows to a length of  SL.

References

dissidens
Catfish of South America
Fish of Brazil
Endemic fauna of Brazil
Taxa named by Lúcia Helena Rapp Py-Daniel
Taxa named by Edinbergh Caldas de Oliveira
Fish described in 2001


Harttia duriventris is a species of armored catfish endemic to Brazil where it is found above the Tucurui Dam in the Tocantins River.  This species grows to a length of  SL.

References

duriventris
Catfish of South America
Fish of Brazil
Endemic fauna of Brazil
Taxa named by Lúcia Helena Rapp Py-Daniel
Taxa named by Edinbergh Caldas de Oliveira
Fish described in 2001


Harttia garavelloi is a species of armored catfish endemic to Brazil where it is found in the Fanado and Araçuaí rivers.  This species grows to a length of  SL.

The fish is named in honor of ichthyologist Julio Cesar Garavello, of the Universidade Federale de São Carlos, because of his work on neotropical freshwater fishes and for providing the paratypes for description.

References

garavelloi
Fish of South America
Fish of Brazil
Endemic fauna of Brazil
Taxa named by Osvaldo Takeshi Oyakawa
Fish described in 1993


Harttia gracilis is a species of armored catfish endemic to Brazil where it is found in the São João and upper Paraná River basins.  This species grows to a length of  SL.

References

gracilis
Fish of South America
Fish of Brazil
Endemic fauna of Brazil
Taxa named by Osvaldo Takeshi Oyakawa
Fish described in 1993


Harttia guianensis is a species of armored catfish endemic to French Guiana where it is found in the Sinnamary and Approuague River basins.  This species grows to a length of  SL.

References

guianensis
Catfish of South America
Fish of French Guiana
Endemic fauna of French Guiana
Taxa named by Lúcia Helena Rapp Py-Daniel
Taxa named by Edinbergh Caldas de Oliveira
Fish described in 2001


Harttia kronei is a species of armored catfish of the family endemic to Brazil where it is found in the Ribeira de Iguape River basin.  This species grows to a length of  SL.

The fish is named in honor of the discoverer, naturalist-archaeologist Ricardo Krone (1861-1917).

References

kronei
Fish of South America
Fish of Brazil
Endemic fauna of Brazil
Taxa named by Alípio de Miranda-Ribeiro
Fish described in 1908


Harttia leiopleura is a species of armored catfish endemic to Brazil, where it is found in the Das Velhas River basin.  This species grows to a length of  SL.

References

leiopleura
Catfish of South America
Fish of Brazil
Endemic fauna of Brazil
Taxa named by Osvaldo Takeshi Oyakawa
Fish described in 1993


Giovanna Lacerti (born 1935) is an Italian artist.  Lacerti is a Latter-day Saint.

Sources
 Short bio on European artists
 Terryl L. Givens.  People of Paradox: A History of Mormon Culture. (Oxford: University Press, 2007) p. 338.

1935 births
Italian artists
Italian Latter Day Saints
Latter Day Saint artists
Living people


Harttia longipinna is a species of armored catfish of the family endemic to Brazil where it is found in the upper São Francisco River basin.  This species grows to a length of  SL.

References

longipinna
Catfish of South America
Fish of the São Francisco River basin
Endemic fauna of Brazil
Taxa named by Francisco Langeani-Neto
Taxa named by Osvaldo Takeshi Oyakawa
Taxa named by Juan Ignacio Montoya-Burgos
Fish described in 2001


Harttia loricariformis is a species of armored catfish of the family endemic to Brazil where it is found in the Paraíba do Sul River basin.  This species grows to a length of  SL.

References

loricariformis
Fish of South America
Fish of Brazil
Endemic fauna of Brazil
Taxa named by Franz Steindachner
Fish described in 1877


Harttia merevari is a species of armored catfish of the family endemic to Venezuela where it is found in the upper Caura River.

Characteristics
Harttia merevari is distinguished from similar species by the presence of a naked abdomen, two or three preanal plates, a bony plate before each branchial opening, seven lateral plates between the pectoral and pelvic fins, a short maxillary barbel attached to the oral disk by a fleshy fold. The head, dorsal surface and anterior portion of the species' body are light or dark yellow with numerous, round black spots, while the posterior region of the body is light or dark yellow with five black transverse bands, with the dorsal central area of the two anterior bands diffused.

References

merevari
Catfish of South America
Freshwater fish of Venezuela
Endemic fauna of Venezuela
Taxa named by Francisco Provenzano-Rizzi
Taxa named by Antonio Machado-Allison
Taxa named by Barry Chernoff
Taxa named by Philip W. Willink
Taxa named by Paulo Petry
Fish described in 2005


Harttia novalimensis is a species of armored catfish endemic to Brazil where it is found in the Das Velhas River basin.  This species grows to a length of  SL.

References

novalimensis
Fish of South America
Fish of Brazil
Endemic fauna of Brazil
Taxa named by Osvaldo Takeshi Oyakawa
Fish described in 1993


Sir William Robert Burkitt (1838 – 16 June 1908) was an Irish judge in British India in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Education
From the Irish branch of a prominent family of judges, theologians, and doctors, Burkitt was born in Dublin. He was educated at Trinity College Dublin and called to the bar at Middle Temple.

He took the Indian Civil Service exams in 1860 and graduated to the Bengal Civil Service in 1869.

Career
William Burkitt arrived in India 11 October 1861. From October 1862, he served in the North Western Provinces as Assistant Magistrate and Collector, Joint Magistrate and Deputy Collector, District and Sessions Judge (from 1862–1891) in Gorakhpur, Basti, Banda, Cawnpore (or Kanpur), Bareilly, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Etawah, Azamgarh, and Mathura, and, later, as a Judicial Commissioner in locations such as Oudh, Allahabad, Delhi and Calcutta.

He served as a High Court Judge in Allahabad (1895-1908) and was appointed Chief Justice of the United Provinces and as Puisne Judge (1895), the most senior category of judges in British India.

He was made a Knight Bachelor on 19 July 1904, the year of his retirement.

Freemasonry
Burkitt was District Grand Mark Master of District Grand Mark Lodge, Bengal and then District Grandmaster of Bengal, presiding over Freemasonry for over half of India's population in the Bengal Presidency.

Emir of Afghanistan
His most well-known achievement was, together with Lord Kitchener (then District Grandmaster of Punjab), to induct the Emir of Afghanistan Habibullah Khan at Freemasons Hall at Lodge Concordia in Park Street, Kolkata in 1907.  This lodge is the home of the United Grand Lodge of Bengal of which Burkitt was District Grandmaster.

An account of this highly unusual event was written at the time by Sir Henry McMahon.  It was performed in an unusual style, the Emir taking all three ordinary degrees of masonry at once - a rare event rumoured to signify membership of the Roshaniya.

Personal life
Burkitt was married twice. He married first to Kathleen Dwyer (who was lost at sea) and then to Frances Gill. He had children with both wives. His son, William, also a judge, was tipped to follow in his father's footsteps but died young from pneumonia on 19 May 1918 in Nainital. There were several daughters, including Ethel Lilian Burkitt, who married in December 1902 Captain Charles Hampden Turner, Suffolk Regiment.

Later life
He died in at Norris's Hotel, 48-53 Russell Road, Kensington, London on 16 June 1908.

References

External links
 http://www.lodgeofcharity4105.org.uk/news.html

 http://www.mightypeace.ca/AN_ACCOUNT_OF_THE_ENTRY_OF_H.pdf
 http://www.thedigitalfreemason.com/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=66
 http://www.kinggeorgelodge.com/downloads/education/tdf059-royal_masonic_occasion.pdf
 http://nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com/library_and_archives/freemasonry_and_colonialism/
 http://nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/09/19/mcmahon_habibullah_khan.jpg
 http://www.ilovekolkata.in/index.php/My-City/How-the-plot-thickened.html
 https://books.google.com/books?id=3VQTAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA452&vq=Burkitt&dq=Judge+Sir+WR+Burkitt&source=gbs_search_s&cad=0
 http://www.allahabadhighcourt.in/event/LawAndLaughterGyanendraKumar.pdf

Knights Bachelor
Indian Civil Service (British India) officers
British India judges
1838 births
1908 deaths


Harttia punctata is a species of armored catfish endemic to Brazil where it is found in the Tocantins River basin. This species grows to a length of  SL.

References

punctata
Catfish of South America
Fish of the Tocantins River basin
Endemic fauna of Brazil
Taxa named by Lúcia Helena Rapp Py-Daniel
Taxa named by Edinbergh Caldas de Oliveira
Fish described in 2001


Harttia rhombocephala is a species of armored catfish endemic to Brazil where it is found in the Farias River basin.

References

rhombocephala
Fish of South America
Fish of Brazil
Endemic fauna of Brazil
Taxa named by Paulo de Miranda-Ribeiro
Fish described in 1939


Harttia surinamensis is a species of armored catfish of the family native to the coastal rivers of Suriname and French Guiana. This species grows to a length of  SL.

References

surinamensis
Taxa named by Marinus Boeseman
Fish described in 1971
Fish of French Guiana
Fish of Suriname


Empire Baron was a  cargo ship which was built in 1926 for Navigazione Generale Gerolimich & Compagnia Società in Anzioni, Trieste, Italy. She was captured by the Royal Navy in 1940 and ownership passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was  renamed Empire Baron. She was sold in 1947 to Navigation & Coal Trade Ltd, London  and renamed Rubystone. She was sold to a Panamanian company in 1951 and was scrapped in 1960.

History

Pre-war
Monte Piana was built by Cantiere Navale Triestino, Monfalcone for Navigazione Generale Gerolimich & Compagnia Società in Anzioni, Trieste. She was completed in July 1926 and named after the Northern Italian mountain of the same name. On 18 June 1933, Monte Piana was in collision with the Greek ship  in the River Plate, in Argentine waters. Both ships sustained damage to their bows, with their forepeaks flooded. On 18 May 1937, Monte Piana departed Calcutta, India for Genoa, Italy. A fire broke out in one of her holds. It was brought under control and Monte Piana returned to port.

War service
On 10 June 1940, Monte Piana was captured by the Royal Navy at Aden. She was beached after her crew attempted to scuttle her. In 1941, her ownership was passed to the MoWT. Attempts to repair her electrical system and engines at Aden were unsuccessful, and she was towed to Vizagapatam, India by SS Nirvana, arriving on 23 February 1941. She was repaired and placed under the management of British-India Steam Navigation Company. Repairs were completed by June 1941 as Monte Piana sailed from Calcutta on 10 June, arriving at Rangoon, Burma on 9 July. She departed Calcutta on 19 August 1941 and joined Convoy SL 93 which departed Freetown, Sierra Leone on 19 November 1941 and arrived at Liverpool on 10 December. She was carrying a cargo of tea, jute and pig iron and was bound for Oban, Argyllshire. She then sailed to Dundee. At some point, Monte Piana was renamed Empire Baron. Although this name change took place on paper in 1941, she was still operating under the name Monte Piana in 1942. Empire Baron was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War

OS 34
Convoy OS 34 departed Liverpool on 11 July 1942 and arrived at Freetown on 30 July. Empire Baron had started her voyage at Oban and was bound for Durban and Calcutta with a load of Government stores.

OS 58
Convoy OS 58 departed Liverpool on 5 November 1943 and arrived at Freetown on 28 November. Empire Baron had started her voyage at the Clyde and was bound for Cape Town and East London, South Africa and then Basra, Iraq.

MKS 43
Convoy MKS 43 sailed from Gibraltar on 22 March 1944 and arrived at Liverpool on 4 April 1944. Empire Baron had started her voyage at Mombasa, Kenya and called at Beira, Mozambique. She was carrying a cargo of Chrome ore, general cargo and mails and was bound for Loch Ewe.

KMS 61
Convoy KMS 61 sailed from Liverpool on 25 August 1944 and arrived at Gibraltar on 4 September. Empire Baron had started her voyage at Belfast and was bound for Port Said, Egypt with a cargo of coal.

Postwar
In 1947, Empire Baron was sold to Navigation & Coal Trade Ltd, London and renamed Rubystone. She was operated by them for four years before being sold in 1951 to Alvion Steamship Co, Panama. Rubystone was scrapped in August 1960 at Nagasaki, Japan.

Propulsion
She was propelled two 6-cylinder SCSA diesel engines of  which were built by Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino, Trieste.

Official number and code letters
Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers. Monte Piana had the Italian Official Number 258 until 1940 and the UK Official Number from 1940. She used the Code Letters NZLO until 1933. IBJX from 1934, and  ZNAH from 1941. Empire Baron had the UK Official Number 174207 and used the Code Letters BCSN

References

1926 ships
Ships built in Trieste
Merchant ships of Italy
World War II merchant ships of Italy
Ministry of War Transport ships
Empire ships
Merchant ships of the United Kingdom
Merchant ships of Panama
Captured ships
Maritime incidents in 1933
Maritime incidents in 1937
Maritime incidents in June 1940


Harttia torrenticola is a species of armored catfish endemic to Brazil where it is found in the São Francisco River basin.  This species grows to a length of  SL.

References

torrenticola
Catfish of South America
Fish of the São Francisco River basin
Endemic fauna of Brazil
Taxa named by Osvaldo Takeshi Oyakawa
Fish described in 1993


Harttia trombetensis is a species of armored catfish endemic to Brazil where it is found above the Cachoeira Porteira in the Trombetas River basin. This species grows to a length of  SL.

References

trombetensis
Catfish of South America
Freshwater fish of Brazil
Endemic fauna of Brazil
Taxa named by Lúcia Helena Rapp Py-Daniel
Taxa named by Edinbergh Caldas de Oliveira
Fish described in 2001


Harttia uatumensis is a species of armored catfish endemic to Brazil, where it is found in the Uatumã River basin. This species grows to a length of  SL.

References

uatumensis
Catfish of South America
Freshwater fish of Brazil
Endemic fauna of Brazil
Taxa named by Lúcia Helena Rapp Py-Daniel
Taxa named by Edinbergh Caldas de Oliveira
Fish described in 2001


Current listings

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References

Crook County


Lamontichthys filamentosus is a species of armored catfish found in the Amazon basin of Bolivia, Brazil and Peru.  This species grows to a length of  SL. They are found primarily on the northern ridge of the Marañón River as well as in the Inambari River.

References

Harttiini
Fish of South America
Fish of Bolivia
Fish of Brazil
Fish of Peru
Taxa named by Francesca LaMonte
Fish described in 1935


Lamontichthys llanero is a species of armored catfish endemic to Venezuela where it is found in the Guanare Viejo River.  This species grows to a length of  SL.

References

Harttiini
Fish of Venezuela
Endemic fauna of Venezuela
Taxa named by Donald Charles Taphorn Baechle
Taxa named by Craig Gustav Lilyestrom
Fish described in 1984


Monte Piana is a  tall mountain in the Sexten Dolomites and located on the border between the provinces of South Tyrol and Belluno. The smaller Northern summit of the mountain is named Monte Piano (2,305m).

During the so-called "White War" in World War I the mountain was hotly contested between the Austro-Hungarian and Italian Armies. The Austrians had occupied the Northern summit Monte Piano, while the Southern summit Monte Piana was in Italian hands. Today many remnants of the fierce fighting can still be found on both summits.

History
When Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary on 24 May 1915, seven / eight battalions of the thirty-five stationed between San Candido and the Stelvio were sent to Monte Piana and its valleys. Monte Piana was part of the operational sector of the IV Army commanded by Lieutenant General Luigi Nava, whose units were divided into two sectors, Cordevole and Cadore, the first belonging to the IX Corps and the second, of which part of the sector of Monte Piana, under the jurisdiction of the 1st Army Corps commanded by Lieutenant General Ottavio Ragni. On 24 May the Piana was occupied by two platoons of Alpine troops of the 96th company, Pieve di Cadore battalion, of the 7th regiment. Other Alpini of the 67th company around 08:30 were hit by an artillery shell fired from Monte Rudo while they were working on the road from Misurina to Monte Piana; they were the first Italians to fall on a mountain that in less than two years made about 14,000 victims from both sides. Here, on 7 June 1915, second lieutenant Antonio De Toni (7th regiment, 268th company, batt. Val Piave) was fatally wounded, the first to be killed in the Padua university community.

At the end of the day, the two years of war on Mount Piana essentially led to nothing; the two contenders fought for two long years on a patch of land, without ever being able to subvert the enemy forces, and on 3 November 1917 the positions on the plain were abandoned by the Italian units to retreat and take sides on the Grappa line in an attempt to resist the Austro-Hungarian offensive in Caporetto.

Between 1977 and 1981, on the initiative of the Austrian Colonel Walther Schaumann, the "Open-air Historical Museum of Monte Piana" was established and can be visited by all, free of charge. The works for the rearrangement of the trenches were carried out by the group "Friends of the Dolomites" (Dolomitenfreunde) with the reconstruction of the walkways, trenches, tunnels and stairways of the time. Every year since 1983, the restoration work of the trenches has been carried out during the first fifteen days of August, by the "Monte Piana Foundation" and the "Friends of the Dolomites" (who for the occasion formed the "Gruppo Volontari Amici del Piana" ")

In 1981, during the usual meeting on the first Sunday of September, dedicated to the commemoration of the fallen of Monte Piana, the "Friends of the Dolomites" handed over the open-air Historical Museum to the "Monte Piana Foundation", which then work area. In 1983, the newly established "Gruppo Volontari Amici del Piana" began its patient work of intervention on those elements that are damaged every year by bad weather and thaw.

Since that year, the volunteers are committed to faithfully reconstructing the sections of dry stone wall that collapsed during the winter; they recover what remains of the old shelters, restore the wooden structure and carry out a radical cleaning of the mountain from waste, in respect of the fact that this site has become a protected area. In addition, the access paths from the surrounding valleys are maintained and the relative signs are taken care of, currently assisted by retired colonel Elio Scarpa.

In 1986 the Group dedicated its name to the recently deceased vice president of the "Monte Piana Foundation", Elio Scarpa, who was thus given the credit for having made possible the launch of this initiative. But support for the work also came from the Italian army at the hands of the Alpine Troops Command, so the group of volunteers can use, during the work, an off-road vehicle, tents and various materials, in addition to valid help. of the military personnel placed at its disposal, for a collaboration that continues today

External links

 http://www.worldwarone.it/2015/06/first-world-war-one-day-itineraries.html
 Photos Monte Piana:  und
 Monte Piana on www.cimeetrincee.it (Italian)
 Monte Piana on Fronte Dolomitico (Italian)
 www.montepiana.com Maps of the summit area (Italian)

Mountains of the Alps
Mountains of Italy
Dolomites
Sexten Dolomites


Lamontichthys maracaibero is a species of armored catfish endemic to Venezuela where it occurs in the Lake Maracaibo basin.  This species grows to a length of  SL.

References

Harttiini
Fish of Venezuela
Endemic fauna of Venezuela
Taxa named by Donald Charles Taphorn Baechle
Taxa named by Craig Gustav Lilyestrom
Fish described in 1984


Lamontichthys stibaros is a species of armored catfish endemic to Ecuador where it occurs in the Bobonaza River basin in the Andes.  This species grows to a length of  SL.

References

Harttiini
Catfish of South America
Freshwater fish of Ecuador
Fish of the Andes
Taxa named by Isaäc J. H. Isbrücker
Taxa named by Han Nijssen
Fish described in 1978


Let's Wrestle were an English indie rock band based in London. The band consisted of Wesley Patrick Gonzalez (vocals and guitar), Mike Lightning (bass) and Louis Scase A.K.A Darkus Bishop (drums).

History
Gonzalez, bassist Mike Hankin (also known as Mike Lightning) and drummer Darkus Bishop formed the band in 2005. Their debut 7" single "Song for ABBA Tribute Band" was released only two years later on Marquis Cha Cha Records. According to AllMusic, "it gained them fans in the British music scene, including Art Brut's Eddie Argos, to whom Gonzalez (whose stepfather is musician Pete Astor) was often compared". In 2008 the band signed to Stolen Recordings which released their EP In Loving Memory Of, followed by the full-length In the Court of the Wrestling Let's (2009), recorded in a basement. It was warmly received by critics and  earned them comparisons to The Fall and early Wedding Present among others. "They do a first-rate job blending humor, emotion, and energy on In the Court; it's a tricky routine to master but they've done it impressively right out of the gate", AllMusic's Tim Sendra wrote. The second album, Nursing Home, was produced by Steve Albini and released on 1 June 2011 by Merge Records.

In May 2015, after taking a hiatus, the band announced they would be splitting up following a farewell show in London in July.

Wesley Patrick Gonzalez released his first solo single, Come Through and See Me, in November 2015. To promote the new material, Gonzalez appeared the same month on Marc Riley's show on BBC 6 Music, with a backing band consisting of Rose Elinor Dougall and members of Younghusband.

Musical style
The band claims that their musical influences include The Beatles, Neil Young, Pavement, Nirvana, Swell Maps, Pixies, The Raincoats, The Beach Boys, Dinosaur Jr., Buddy Holly, Black Sabbath, Denim, Grandaddy, Hüsker Dü, Wire, Yo La Tengo and Phil Spector.
They have also said that they are "ultimately trying to be as raw as possible and they try to write songs that make your soul crumble as well as making you smile, sing along and clap your hands".

Critical reception
The band was described by the NME as "a charming, funny and utterly real trio". Drowned in Sound gave their track "Song For Abba Tribute Record" an 8/10 describing it as a "downtrodden plea from a self-absorbed man with issues" by a "captivating and cutting band" of "ham-fisted gentlemen". The song was also described by the BBC's Collective as "the accidental 4am lovechild of eight bottles of £2.99 Merlot and a wheelbarrow full of Cutter’s Choice". Clash described their album Nursing Home as "brittle scuzzed-up grunge guitars...around a chirpy indie pop recital".

Discography

Singles
 "Song For Abba Tribute Record" (2007)
 "I Wont Lie To You" (2007)
 "Let's Wrestle/I'm in Fighting Mode" (2008)
 "We Are The Men You'll Grow to Love Soon" (2009)
 "In Dreams Part II" (2011)
 "If I Keep On Loving You" (2011)

EPs
 In Loving Memory Of... (2008)
 Let's Wrestle Stolen Cover's CDR (2008)

Albums
 In the Court of the Wrestling Let's (2009)
 Nursing Home (2011)
 Let's Wrestle (2014)

References

External links
Official website
Let's Wrestle at Stolen Recordings

English indie rock groups
Merge Records artists
Musical groups established in 2005
Musical groups disestablished in 2015


Adolf van Nieuwenaar, Count of Limburg and Moers (also: Adolf von Neuenahr) ( – 18 October 1589) was a statesman and soldier, who was stadtholder of Overijssel, Guelders and Utrecht for the States-General of the Netherlands during the Eighty Years' War.

Early life
Nieuwenaar (as he is usually called in historiography) was the son of Count Gumprecht II von Neuenahr-Alpen and Amöna von Daun. After the death of his father in 1556 he was raised at the court of his guardian and uncle, the Protestant Count Hermann of Neuenahr and Moers, who was married to Magdalene, a half-sister of William the Silent, Prince of Orange. In 1570 he married his aunt Walburgis van Nieuwenaer, the widow of Philip de Montmorency, Count of Hoorn who had been executed by the Duke of Alba in 1568. She was the sister of his guardian Hermann. When Count Hermann died childless in December 1578, Niewenaar inherited his lands, including the county of Moers. All these lands are close to the current border between Germany and the Netherlands, and abutted the Duchy of Guelders in the Habsburg Netherlands.

Participation in the Cologne War

Nieuwenaar encouraged the Prince-elector and Archbishop of Cologne Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg to retain his control of the Electorate of Cologne after he married Agnes von Mansfeld-Eisleben and converted to Calvinism.  In 1583 Pope Gregory XIII excommunicated Gebhard, and the Cathedral chapter chose Ernest of Bavaria as the new Elector.  War broke out between the two rivals: it was known as the Cologne War. Gebhart was supported by Nieuwenaar (as his general), his brother, Karl, Truchsess von Waldburg-Trauchburg and the Dutch rebels. Ernest by his brothers, Wilhelm V, Duke of Bavaria, Ferdinand of Bavaria, and eventually by Spain. By 1586, Nieuwenaar was driven out of all his German possessions.

Stadtholderate

However, he soon found a new position in the rebellious Netherlands. The stadtholder of the province of Gelderland in the States-General, Willem IV van den Bergh, had been caught in treasonous correspondence with the Spanish Governor-General of the Habsburg Netherlands, Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma, and had been deposed in November 1583. Nieuwenaar was now appointed the new stadtholder. As such he only controlled the city of Arnhem and surroundings, however. Most of the province was in Spanish hands.

In August 1584, Nieuwenaar's uncle, the Prince of Orange, who at the time was also Stadtholder of Utrecht and Overijssel, was assassinated. After some delay, the States-General appointed Nieuwenaar as stadtholder of these provinces in his uncle's place. In Utrecht a political struggle ensued between radical Calvinists and more conservative nobles and regents. In this conflict, Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, who became the new Governor-General on the side of the States-General in the northern Netherlands in 1585, chose the side of the radicals, and so did Nieuwenaar. However, after Leicester's departure for England in 1587, Nieuwenaar gradually changed his stance. He brought about a (nominal) reconciliation between the warring parties. After a bloodless coup in 1588 the radicals were ousted from the city of Utrecht, but this did not undermine Nieuwenaar's position as stadtholder.

As stadtholder, Nieuwenaar was also commander-in-chief of the military forces of the States-General in his provinces. As such he led several campaigns, but with little success. He captured Neuss in 1585, but this city was soon lost again to Spain. During his retreat, Nieuwenaar destroyed Kamp Abbey in 1586. In 1585, the Spanish general Juan Baptista de Tassis defeated him and Maarten Schenk van Nydeggen at the Battle of Amerongen on 23 June 1585. Schenk would in the same year build the fortress of Schenkenschans (Schenk's fortress) on his orders.

Nieuwenaar died in an explosion at Arnhem, while testing a new piece of artillery, on 18 October 1589.

Notes

Sources
 "Nieuwenaar, Neuenahr Adolf," in:  Nieuw Nederlandsch biografisch woordenboek. Deel 5, p. 374

External links
 „Neuenahr, Adolf Graf von“ in: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, herausgegeben von der Historischen Kommission bei der Bayrischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Band 23 (1886), pp. 484ff

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Dutch people of the Eighty Years' War
Stadtholders of Guelders and Zutphen
Dutch military commanders
Year of birth unknown
1589 deaths
16th-century governors


A by-election was held for the Legislative Assembly of Queensland district of Redcliffe on 20 August 2005. It was triggered by the resignation of sitting Labor member and Speaker Ray Hollis.

The by-election was held to coincide with the Chatsworth by-election on the same day. Both contests resulted in the Labor Party losing the seat to the rival Liberal Party. Terry Rogers was elected as the new member for Redcliffe.

Background

Ray Hollis first entered parliament at the 1989 state election and held the seat of Redcliffe at every election thereafter. When Labor came to power at the 1998 state election, Hollis was appointed Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland.

On 21 July 2005, Hollis announced his retirement from politics, citing ill health. This followed political controversy over whether Hollis's claimed travel expenses had been authorised, although the Crime and Misconduct Commission did not consider the matter suspicious.

Candidates

At the 2004 state election, Ray Hollis's two party preferred vote was slashed to 57.1%, down from 67.6% at the previous election. The Liberal candidate who achieved that swing of 10.5% was Terry Rogers. Rogers was chosen unopposed as the Liberal candidate for the Redcliffe by-election.

The Labor Party chose school teacher Lillian van Litsenburg to defend Redcliffe, a seat they'd held for the past 19 years.

Also standing at the by-election was independent candidate Rob McJannett who, as the only non-major party candidate to run for Redcliffe, achieved a hefty 14.3% of the primary vote at the 2004 state election.

Results

Aftermath

The by-election win of Terry Rogers, along with that of Michael Caltabiano in Chatsworth, was a flip for the Liberal Party, who increased their numbers in the Legislative Assembly from five to seven. However, the Liberal Party's hold on these two seats did not last long; both returned to the Labor fold at the 2006 state election.

Labor's unsuccessful candidate for the Redcliffe by-election, Lillian van Litsenburg, was again the Labor candidate for the seat at the 2006 state election when she was elected the member for Redcliffe.

See also
2014 Redcliffe state by-election
List of Queensland state by-elections

References

2005 elections in Australia
Queensland state by-elections
2000s in Queensland


Metaloricaria nijsseni is a species of armored catfish endemic to Suriname where it occurs in the Suriname, Saramacca, Nickerie and Corantijn River basins.  This species grows to a length of  SL.

Etymology
The catfish is named in honor of Han Nijssen (1935-2013), of the Zoölogisch Museum.

References

Harttiini
Taxa named by Isaäc J. H. Isbrücker
Fish described in 1975
Fish of Suriname
Endemic fauna of Suriname


James or Jim Knight may refer to:

People

Born before 1900
James Knight (explorer) (c.1640–c.1720), English explorer and director of the Hudson's Bay Company in America
James Knight (actor) (1891–1948), British actor
James Knight (Australian politician) (c. 1826–1876), member of the Victorian Legislative Council
James Knight (coach) (1875–1969), American football coach active 1902–1904
James H. Knight (1892–1945), American pilot
James Knight (architect) (1867–1930), British architect
James Knight (golfer), Scottish amateur golfer

Born after 1900
James L. Knight (1909–1991), American newspaper publisher
James A. Knight (1918–1998), psychiatrist, theologian, and medical ethicist
Jim Knight (footballer) (1918–1943), Australian rules footballer
James W. Knight (1925–2005), American Presbyterian minister
James Knight (diplomat) (born 1948), current United States Ambassador to Chad
Jim Knight (born 1965), British politician

Places
James L. Knight Center, concert hall in Miami, USA
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, American non-profit foundation

See also
Knight (surname)


Metaloricaria paucidens is a species of armored catfish native to French Guiana and Suriname, where it is found in the Oyapock, Sinnamary, and Marowijne River basins.  This species grows to a length of  SL.

References

Harttiini
Taxa named by Isaäc J. H. Isbrücker
Fish described in 1976
Fish of French Guiana
Fish of Suriname