Selective Separate Surnames for Married Couples: Wouldn’t Such a System Undermine Family Unity?

Editorial

16:06 JST, May 12, 2025

It is important to carefully discuss the proper form of surnames for married couples, based on the premise of respecting family unity.

The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan has submitted a bill to revise the Civil Code to introduce a selective separate surname system for married couples.

The CDPJ also submitted a bill to introduce a separate surname system in 2022, together with other parties including the Democratic Party for the People. However, the bill was scrapped due to the dissolution of the House of Representatives last year.

The abandoned bill stipulated that parents would consult with each other to decide their children’s surnames when each child was born. The aim was to preserve both parents’ last names, but the bill was met with criticism for possibly allowing siblings to have different surnames.

In light of this, the CDPJ revised its proposal to have couples decide at the time of marriage which surname their children will take, in case the couples choose to have different last names. This is in line with recommendations made by the Legislative Council in 1996.

Under this system, siblings whose parents have different surnames would have the same surname, but the last name of one parent and that of the children would remain different. If the surname is no longer the collective name for the family, it could undermine family unity.

In addition, the situation could fall into disarray if grandparents request that their grandchildren take their last name. The possibility cannot be ruled out that children might feel concerned in the future about their relationship with a parent who has a different surname.

In recent years, there has been a notable trend of people acting without consideration for others by excessively stressing respect for individuals. This trend may have led people to disregard even families, which are the foundation of society.

Under the current same-surname system, married couples can choose either surname, but more than 90% have chosen the husband’s.

Proponents of different last names for married couples claim that Japan is the only country that requires the same surnames, and that this constitutes discrimination against women. However, the government already permits the addition of premarital names on driver’s licenses, passports and other materials. Many financial institutions have also allowed people to open accounts under their premarital surnames.

Even so, if the same-surname system causes inconvenience, the government must consider the issue in more detail. There should be ways to resolve inconveniences within the framework of the current system.

The CDPJ’s latest proposal would allow people who are already married to change their surnames back to their original ones within one year after the law is enforced. Some married couples might argue over whether to adopt separate surnames.

The Japanese Communist Party supports the CDPJ’s proposal. The Liberal Democratic Party has not been able to reach a consensus, as proponents and skeptics have been divided. The Japan Innovation Party is considering a bill that would allow people to record premarital surnames as their commonly used names in family registers and give legal effect to the use of those names.

A review of the family system will have a significant impact on society as a whole. A conclusion should not be reached hastily.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, May 11, 2025)