Photo/Illutration Lawmakers from the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan submit legislation on a dual surname system to the Lower House in April. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

With Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in office and Komeito out of the ruling coalition, the move to introduce a system allowing married couples to choose separate surnames has taken a huge step backward.

Takaichi has long opposed allowing dual surnames. Although Komeito favored such a system, the new coalition partner of the Liberal Democratic Party, Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party), has pledged to push legislation for another measure to allow the use of a maiden name as an alias for business and other purposes.

The environment is totally different from the ordinary Diet session earlier this year when committee deliberations on a dual surname system were held for the first time since 1997.

In the coalition agreement between the LDP and Nippon Ishin, the two parties will introduce legislation in next year’s ordinary Diet session to allow for the option of also using one's maiden name.

Legal approval for this has long been a goal of Takaichi and a campaign pledge of Nippon Ishin.

Under the new proposal, the current practice of having married couples choosing one of their surnames as a common one for both will continue. However, a maiden name would be usable in a wide range of capacities previously not recognized.

While there are some differences between the past proposals of Takaichi and Nippon Ishin, both are opposed to a dual surname system.

Under the Civil Law provision enacted shortly after the end of World War II, married couples have to use the same surname, but can choose which of their two should become the common surname.

But in about 94 percent of marriage reports filed with local governments, wives have taken their husband’s surname.

In 1996, the Legislative Council of the Justice Ministry recommended allowing married couples to choose if they wanted to use different surnames.

Despite this, conservate elements in the LDP, including Takaichi, were fervently opposed to a dual surname system on the grounds that it would destroy the family.

That prevented the government from even submitting legislation for such a new system.

This shifted last year when Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) asked the government to expediently introduce a dual surname system and Shigeru Ishiba, who in the past favored such a system, became prime minister.

However, the opposition parties could not unify behind a single proposal, leading to Diet deliberations on three different measures. None came up for a vote.

Those in favor of a dual surname system have pointed out to problems with the proposed use of maiden names in addition to the one officially registered.

A Keidanren survey found that 88 percent of female executives did not use their maiden name because of the potential for various problems.

Makiko Terahara, a lawyer who has been involved in surname lawsuits, said the proposal is only a “tool to prevent the introduction of a dual surname system.”

She asked, “Why have decades passed without responding to the simple wish to not change one’s surname after marriage? I want officials to listen to the voices of those who want separate surnames and are hesitant about marrying.”

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