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........

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