Photo/Illutration Executives from Keidanren’s member companies and Ayuko Kato, the minister in charge of women’ empowerment, discuss the promotion of women at a meeting in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward on Jan. 17. (Sawa Okabayashi)

Japan’s largest business group called on the government on Jan. 17 to allow married couples to keep both their surnames, saying that the current system mandating a shared surname hinders corporate activities.

This is the first time that Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) asked the government to consider introducing a dual-surname option for married couples at an official meeting.

During the meeting with Ayuko Kato, the minister in charge of women’s empowerment, executives from Keidanren’s member companies discussed the promotion of women.

Masahiko Uotani, the chairman of the Keidanren Diversity Promotion Committee, said, “The difference between the name on the passport and the business name hampers the continuing careers of researchers who work for international organizations.”

Uotani, who is also the chairman of Shiseido Co., cited specific examples of “being locked out of hotels or meeting places on overseas business trips.”

“We would like the government to demonstrate strong leadership to realize a dual-surname option,” he said.

After the meeting, Kato told The Asahi Shimbun, “I’m taking the request from the business community seriously.”

The Justice Ministry’s Legislative Council made a proposal to revise the Civil Law in 1996 to allow married couples the option to maintain separate surnames.

However, strong opposition within the Liberal Democratic Party has prevented its submission to the Diet until now.

Japan is the only country in the world that legally requires married couples to have the same surname.

The government has been allowing maiden names to be included on driver’s licenses and other documents, but the business community has indicated that this allowance has not spread to the international business arena.

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