TOKYO: A Japanese court ruled on Tuesday that not allowing same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, a decision activists welcomed as a step towards marriage equality in the only Group of Seven nation with no legal protection for same-sex unions. The ruling by the Nagoya district court was the second to find a ban against same-sex marriage unconstitutional, out of four cases over the past two years, and is likely to add to pressure to change the law in a country. “This ruling has rescued us from the hurt of last year’s ruling that said there was nothing wrong with the ban, ” lead lawyer Yoko Mizutani said.