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Japan’s Surname Debate


 
Description of the issue:

    The article discusses whether married couples in Japan should be allowed to have separate surnames or continue sharing the same family name after marriage. Unfortunately, progress toward introducing a dual surname system has taken a major step backward since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and the Japan Innovation Party opposed the idea. They believe that allowing separate surnames would destroy traditional family values. However, they support the use of maiden names for business or official purposes, but not as legal surnames. On the other hand,  some argue that simply allowing the use of maiden names does not solve the problem. Keidanren points out that many women face difficulties when their legal and business names are different. Moreover, women’s and civil rights groups, along with Makiko Terahara and the Komeito Party, strongly argue that gender equality and personal freedom should be respected.

                                                                                             My personal view:

    My impression toward this article is that I once again realized Japan is still behind when it comes to accepting new values. Japan deeply cares about its traditions and culture, which I truly love and respect. However, at the same time, there is a unique aspect of Japanese society where many people are not open to new ways of thinking, especially among the older generations. In particular, Japan’s system regarding gender and women’s rights is far behind compared to many other countries. Even some developing nations have become more tolerant or progressive in terms of gender equality, so I can’t help but wonder why Japan continues to lag behind.


                                                         Why I decided to focus on this issue:


I decided to focus on this issue because I have a cousin who is in a same-sex marriage, which made me more interested in how Japan’s legal and social systems handle family names and personal identity. Wanting to better understand the current situation in Japan, I began paying closer attention to debates surrounding surnames, marriage, and individual rights. 


The Surname Debate. Should I take my husband’s last name? | by . . . (n.d.). www.google.com. https://share.google/MbYsMeTuWfVw1LV8u


Dual surname system farther from reality under Takaichi | The Asahi Shimbun Asia & Japan Watch. (n.d.). The Asahi Shimbun. https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/16118069


Comments

  1. jodias3 December 2025 at 06:22

    I looked up Japan's gender inequality index ranking for 2025 and found out that it's 118th (out of 148 countries), placing it last among G7 nations. No doubt the failure to adopt a dual surname system is one factor in keeping it so low. You're absolutely right; quite a few developing countries, and muslim majority countries, are above Japan in the rankings, including:

    Angola (Rank 117th)
    Senegal (Rank 116th)
    Comoros (Rank 115th)
    Gambia (Rank 114th)
    Benin (Rank 113th)

    The argument that a married couple having different names would upset "traditional family values" always seemed strange to me. With generational change comes inevitable changes in values. Just because the older (former) generations did something a certain way doesn't make it right or set in stone. Women in my mother's generation in the US often wrote their name as their husband's name (for example, since my father was named Joseph--just like me--my mother would sometimes refer to herself as "Mrs. Joseph William Dias"). For a women to refer to herself in America like that now would be considered absurd. My point is that all societies, ideally, evolve.

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