The Tokyo District Court on Tuesday dismissed a bid by a recently married female teacher to use her maiden name at work on the grounds that the practice is not customary. It found no violation of her rights.
Critics, who noted that the three judges were all male, called the ruling "backward-thinking" and "out of touch" with the needs of working women in Japan.
The Civil Code does not allow couples to keep different surnames after marriage, but the use of maiden names in professional settings is widely accepted.