When will a society that respects each individual’s way of life become a reality?

Minority groups with specific issues cannot expect to be adequately represented in the Diet. The Oct. 27 Lower House election is a test of whether the nation’s lawmakers can give more attention to the rights of underrepresented minorities.

One issue that has been neglected by the Diet for a long time is the introduction of a selective separate surname system for married couples.

Twenty-eight years have passed since the Legislative Council called for a revision to the civil code to allow married couples to choose whether to share the same surname or retain the surname they were born with.

Although only a minority of Japanese may yearn for the introduction of this system, opinion polls have shown there is broad public support for a change of the rule.

The main opposition parties, with the exception of Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party), and Komeito, the junior partner in the ruling coalition led by the Liberal Democratic Party, support the revision to the civil code, but opposition within the LDP remains a big political obstacle to the legal change.

Last month, during the LDP’s leadership election, several candidates, including Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, indicated they had no issue with the concept, signaling a potential change in the mindset within the ruling party.

However, after taking office, Ishiba has not made any remarks indicating his enthusiasm about addressing the issue. At last week’s Japan National Press Club-sponsored party leaders’ debate, he stated, “I’m not interested in foot-dragging on the political discourse on the issue. My aim is to reach a conclusion within the party.” Then, he must show how and by when he will present a concrete proposal to achieve the goal.

No other developed country has a system that forces one spouse to change their surname upon marriage. The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which carried out a fresh review of the Japanese government’s efforts to promote gender equality this week through a face-to-face screening, seems certain to issue a correction recommendation urging the Japanese government to allow married couples to have different surnames. This would mark the fourth time since 2003.

On the issue of legalizing same-sex marriage, major opposition parties have shown clear support for the step, and Komeito is inclined to join in, but the LDP clearly has adopted a negative attitude.

A series of district and high court rulings in lawsuits filed by people seeking gay marriage in various parts of the nation have declared provisions in the civil code and other laws that do not recognize same-sex marriage to be unconstitutional.

Instead of passively observing these judicial decisions, the Diet should have taken the initiative to provide relief to same-sex partners.

A growing number of local governments have adopted a system that recognizes same-sex partners, with some local administrations registering their relationship status on family registries similarly to de facto married couples as “spouses (not legally registered).” Against this backdrop, the Diet’s tardiness in responding to the trend has been striking.

The confusion surrounding the law to promote understanding of LGBTQ+ issues enacted last year is still fresh.

After a nonpartisan agreement was reached on the basic principle that discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is not acceptable, talks on the bill among the LDP, Komeito, Ishin and the Democratic Party for the People ended up with a provision simply stating, “There must be no unjust discrimination,” a step back in the message against discrimination against these sexual minorities.

One year and four months since the law came into force, the government has yet to formulate a basic plan based on this legislation.

If this is a response anticipating the Diet’s passive attitude toward protecting LGBT rights, the government deserves to be accused of lacking the required commitment to the cause.

Discrimination against transgender individuals and foreign nationals is also becoming clearly visible. Even though election results are decided by “numbers,” there is a long list of problems that cannot be resolved in a fair and just manner by majority vote alone. When they cast ballots on Oct. 27, all voters should keep this viewpoint in mind.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Oct. 19