Japan's Civil War Over Surnames (economist.com)
(Saturday June 28, 2025 @04:01AM (msmash)
from the what's-in-a-name dept.)
- Reference: 0178207766
- News link: https://slashdot.org/story/25/06/27/2354246/japans-civil-war-over-surnames
- Source link: https://www.economist.com/asia/2025/06/26/japans-civil-war-over-surnames
Japanese politicians [1]failed to pass legislation last month that would have allowed married couples to keep separate surnames, despite surveys showing majority public support for the change. Japan remains the only country requiring married couples by law to share the same surname, with women taking their husband's name in 95% of cases.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party's skepticism blocked opposition bills aimed at reforming the system. Keidanren, Japan's largest business lobby, says the current law "hinders women's advancement" as name changes complicate professional reputations. A study by NGO Asuniwa suggests reform could prompt 590,000 cohabiting couples to marry legally, potentially boosting Japan's birth rate since strong stigmas discourage births outside marriage.
Some couples have developed workarounds. Teachers Uchiyama Yukari and Koike Yukio have divorced and remarried three times to sidestep the law, living unmarried most of the time but remarrying for each child's birth registration before divorcing again.
[1] https://www.economist.com/asia/2025/06/26/japans-civil-war-over-surnames
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party's skepticism blocked opposition bills aimed at reforming the system. Keidanren, Japan's largest business lobby, says the current law "hinders women's advancement" as name changes complicate professional reputations. A study by NGO Asuniwa suggests reform could prompt 590,000 cohabiting couples to marry legally, potentially boosting Japan's birth rate since strong stigmas discourage births outside marriage.
Some couples have developed workarounds. Teachers Uchiyama Yukari and Koike Yukio have divorced and remarried three times to sidestep the law, living unmarried most of the time but remarrying for each child's birth registration before divorcing again.
[1] https://www.economist.com/asia/2025/06/26/japans-civil-war-over-surnames
Quite a bit of culture in Japan is ossified (Score:3)
For some thigns that is good, but for others it prevents them or slows them down in adapting to societal changes. And there is a price to be paid for that, in the form of more and more people unwilling to participate. Just look at their reproduction numbers.