Only 20% of Japanese Youths Support Maintaining the Law Requiring Married Couples to Have the Same Surname: Poll
Published on November 13, 2025
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Japan remains the only country in the world that legally requires married couples to adopt a single surname. Article 750 of the 1898 Civil Code technically allows couples to choose either spouse’s surname. In practice, however, it is women who change their surname upon marriage, accounting for about 95% of cases in total.
There are growing calls for the government to change the 19th century system. It is not just legal activists and civil society groups who advocate for the right of married couples to retain separate surnames.
Keidanren, Japan’s largest business organization, has called for the law’s repeal on the grounds that it disadvantages working women. So has the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), the nation’s largest labor union federation.
Internationally, the United Nations Committee on Elimination of Discrimination against Women recommended in 2024 that Japan carry out legal reform that would introduce a selective dual-surname system for married couples. This was the fourth time it has recommended this system to Japan, having previously done so in 2003, 2009, and 2016.
But legislators in the nation’s split Diet (Parliament) can’t agree on a path forward. Changing the law to allow separate spousal surnames has long been opposed by the conservative elements of the ruling Liberal-Democratic Party, who argue that it would
negatively affect family bonds and cause suffering for the children.
The Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP), the Democratic Party for the People, the Japan Communist Party and other smaller opposition parties support the repeal.
For over a decade, there was no progress on this issue as the LDP held firm control of both upper and lower houses of the Diet (Parliament). But hopes for passage have improved after the LDP lost its majority in both chambers.
Against this background, The Nippon Foundation conducted an awareness survey from August 15 to 17 on the advisability of introducing a “System to Allow Use of Separate Surnames” in Japan, covering 1,000 men and women aged between 17 and 19.
The online poll found that almost 90% (88.6%) of the respondents were aware of the system with approximately 70% (68.2%) expressing an interest in it.
Asked about their view on the current system of single surnames, only 20.5% said it should be maintained. By gender, far fewer females (12.9%) than males (27.7%) were in favor of keeping it.
Of all the respondents, 19.1% felt that the opportunity for women to use their maiden name at workplaces, hospitals, banks and other places should be expanded, even under the current system.
By contrast, almost half (47.6%) were in favor of introducing a system to allow couples to use separate surnames if they wish. There was a gender gap on this question, with more females (53.0%) than males (42.5%) supporting it.
Among those who supported maintaining the current system under which married couples share the same surname, the most common reason was the “concern that changing the law would make children’s surnames complicated” (36.4%).
The most common reason among respondents who supported the introduction of the option for separate surnames was that “there are many kinds of families” (55.0%), followed by “being able to choose is appropriate in the modern era” (43.7%). A further 19.7% felt that “changing their name is too much of a hassle.”
When those who want to get married in the future were asked what they want to do about their surname, 36.4% said they “want to decide after discussing the matter with my spouse.” While a further 27.1% said they “want to use my spouse’s surname,” there was a substantial gender gap between males (9.2%) and females (45.2%).
When those who voted in the House of Councillors election in July were asked about the political parties’ position on the issue of using separate surnames, 36.6% replied that it was the most important issue to them as voters or an issue as important as other issues.
I sincerely hope that lawmakers in the Diet deepen their discussion on the issue so as to fully take into account the views of voters, especially young voters, as well as of the international community.
Excerpts of the survey follow:
What is your view regarding the use of separate surnames?
 Which surname do you intend to use when you get married (among respondents who replied that they want to get married in the future)?
 When voting in the July Upper House election, how important was a candidate’s or party’s policy position on the use of separate surnames?
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