Gov't shuns different surnames for married couples

After heated debate among ruling party lawmakers, the Japanese government failed to include a commitment to allowing married couples to use different surnames in its five-year basic gender equality promotion policy approved Friday.

Is anyone really surprised that these dinosaurs 'failed to include a commitment' to anything they never wanted to do? It's all lip service to get whatever agenda they have going and then they just seem to lose all attention and effort much like a bunch of old people that just couldn't give a damn anymore because they already have one foot in the grave so the screw everyone else attitude takes over.

Stupid morons.

In Japan, abortions are the mainstay of birth control.The Japanese porn industry is full of examples of unprotected sex which also keeps STDs high.

One story Gender equality, next story nhaaaa, you really can't make this up! And this is a no brainer. Total incompetence as usual.

The Supreme Court ruled in December 2015 that the current Civil Code provision regarding surnames is constitutional, saying it treats men and women equally and that the use of a single surname by members of the same family is an established practice in Japanese society.

Members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party headed by Suga are divided over the issue. Conservatives who cherish traditional values are adamantly opposed to separate surnames while proponents call for legislation to allow them.

It's another "conservatives' myth". (Mandatory) use of a single surname par a married couple is NOT at all the real Japanese tradition. Its Civil Code was made in the Meiji Era (1867-1912), modelled after the French counterpart. It's rather a recent product and foreign origin.

Throughout millennia-old Japanese history and until Meiji, people had long held and practiced varying personal naming culture. Majority or lower class commoners didn't have or use surnames (during the Edo period and under a strict caste system, non-samurai classes were not allowed to use surnames publicly). Among court/noble and samurai people, surnames frequently changed or evolved while they grew and aged (or got promoted to any higher status). Their official names also often added ritual title(s) stemming from house status and profession, or inherited from their ancestors.

In valuing the Japanese tradition, the present-day conservatives should permit not only several surnames but also an extra name or middle name (such would also be suitable for foreign residents or immigrants who may hold several names). Name changes should also be allowed.

Disturbing.

The whole family register system is a joke. It's demeaning and serves no actual purpose. Like most foreign people I think I'm registered on my wife's register but she still has her ex husbands name and I have mine. Our children under different names? A farcical system. SUPRISINGLY we didn't have to chisel our details into a stone tablet so I guess there has been improvement.

"sufficient attention should be paid to opinions that (the different surname system) may have an impact on family unity as well as children."

This is insane. As if name usage influences the divorce rate in Japan or parents love of their children. Case in point why Japan is the lowest in the developed world on gender fairness. Wow. just stunning. And you would think that women would now never vote for the LDP now but unfortunately they will in the next election. What a massive failure the LDP is to women and to Japan.

failed to include a commitment 

is that anything like (dare I say it?) 'decided' against allowing people to decide for themselves?

we want gender-equallity as long as nothing changes.

why does the word 'moribund' keep popping into my mind in relation to Japan?

Zichi exactly! If you are a foreigner but married to a Japanese the system can't cope and you are excempt, the system is non functional in reality. And what purpose does it serve?other then add another layer of bureaucracy and greif on people. Other than putting my name on it, never had any reason to use it. Bought houses, cars had jobs never had to use my registration with any of it. Father in law died, used a ¥100 hanko so I guess I have used it. But only because the stupidity of the system required it. Could have rolled him up in a futon, but ¥100 seemed easier.

Big surprise here... the old guys in government are scared of change. Is it any surprise Japan ranks... what is it... 124 out of 145 countries in terms of gender equality?

My wife and I have different family names. She didn't take mine. When the Snuggums was born she decided he would have her last name since she "did all the hard work". Who could argue? Happy wife, happy life.

Zoroto, how right you are . . .

Burning Bush, it does not make any difference which single name families are forced to adopt. The point is that the married individuals cannot keep their original names if they choose to do so. Wow, this is pretty basic to understand.

Definitely happy wife happy wife. Was going to say more but it's time for my 100 sit ups.

This rubbish on the same day the government admits the country is way behind on sex equality. You couldn’t make it up.

Surveys in recent years, meanwhile, have shown strong public support for the option of retaining surnames after marriage.

This is the politicians actively opposing the public will, which is consistent between men and women and across all age groups.

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The couple can choose the female partner's name if they want.

The law does not force any couple to choose the male partner's name.

This is true, but kind of misses the point. If couples want to continue using their own names after marriage, why not let them?

I don’t see what the point of the government forcing them to choose is.

And what exactly is problem here?

And what exactly is problem here?

They can't change.

Only applicable to Japanese nationals? My spouse is Japanese, but we've both kept our names, without any issues.

It as a system erodes the family, my family have different names because I'm a foreigner, can't Japanese do the same? Might be a unesco thing?

The child has a right to have the same family name as their mother and father and their brothers and sisters.

Why do people want the name to be different? 

It erodes the family.

Please cite one incident in the entire history of human civilization where the mere fact that the parents of a child were able to choose to keep their respective names caused any harm whatsoever to that child. Or anyone else for that matter.

Only applicable to Japanese nationals? My spouse is Japanese, but we've both kept our names, without any issues.

Yes. This whole rule exists because of the koseki system where family members are listed on the same registry. If you are a foreign national, you aren’t allowed on a koseki, so the system doesn’t care if you and your spouse have different names. If two Japanese nationals are married though they have to appear on the same koseki and therefore the Civil Code requires them to have the same name.

They disguise the hubbub in a bunch of language about tradition, etc but really its about protecting the current administrative system for registering people.

Why is it so that everyone uses this comments to empty its soul of hatred instead of proposing something constructive. how about looking around the world and see what other countries and cultures are doing. Like how about Looking UK, France, Germany and the enforcer of the Japanese politics the USA. USA and Canada almost always use the Husbands name as a Family name and the children get that name. In Canada only province with officially enforced two separate Surnames is Quebec. So in Quebec we have no Family name and aldo Children can be named after either parent mostly the father's surname is used. That is not without problems and disagreements and some amount of confusions and inconveniences for the children. Some women use the both surnames and that makes the life easier. I think that government should propose but never enforce this kind of personal private matter, it should be left to each couple to freely decide what pleases them. While everyone is talking about freedoms of choices everyone is trying to eliminate this freedoms in order to enforce their choices.

Why do people want the name to be different?

Why not? Who does it harm? How does it affect you?

It erodes the family.

Odd thing to say, given your attempts to redefine and limit family as "blood relations" only.

I wonder how children in remarried families feel? Or adopted children?

We're not living in the 18th century anymore.

Every country adopted the same system because the idea was that a family was a unit centered around the children.

Japan is virtually alone in the world in making this a legal requirement actually, which is what this is about.

the Japanese government failed to include a commitment to allowing married couples to use different surnames in its five-year basic gender equality promotion policy approved Friday.

Wow, they JUST made this "5 year gender equality plan" and already step number 1 negates any of that.

Talk about a complete waste of time already.

Well, we only have 4 years, 11 months, 3 weeks, and 6 days to go. What else you jokers got?

As part of efforts to strengthen measures to deal with sexual violence,

because all unwanted pregnancies come from sexual violence?

the new basic policy stated the government's plan to enable the purchase of an emergency contraceptive pill without a prescription

welcome to decades ago in other countries

on condition that recipients take it in the presence of specially trained pharmacists.

because these women are grabbing their pills "for a friend?" and not for their own use? Or maybe there's a problem with scalping?

The "morning-after pill," already allowed over-the-counter in dozens of countries, is currently only available with a doctor's prescription in Japan.

Sounds like Japan. Always behind the world.

And as a result, these young women are too "embarrassed" to go to said doctors to get them, have the unwanted or unplanned baby, they end up tossing them in the combini toilet or river, everyone is scared for life.

Enough, dinosaurs. WAKE UP!

While I think there are more pressing issues, like father's rights in Japan, this one is also a no-brainer. Also, when I changed my visa from a spousal visa to a work visa after my divorce, immigration demanded I show them a copy of the koseki, which my Japanese ex refused to hand over. Immigration had to contact her to find out where it was, otherwise I could have been deported. Strange laws.

People have the right to change their names as many times as they wish, the only one seems to be concerned about it are those who are POWER HUNGREY and CONTROL FREAKS.

rainyday

"Only applicable to Japanese nationals? My spouse is Japanese, but we've both kept our names, without any issues."

Yes. This whole rule exists because of the koseki system where family members are listed on the same registry. If you are a foreign national, you aren’t allowed on a koseki, so the system doesn’t care if you and your spouse have different names. If two Japanese nationals are married though they have to appear on the same koseki and therefore the Civil Code requires them to have the same name.

They disguise the hubbub in a bunch of language about tradition, etc but really its about protecting the current administrative system for registering people.

I'm further confused. I AM in my husband's Koseki Tohon. In the same registry, with my own name.