SAPPORO (Kyodo) The Sapporo High Court has allowed a 51-year-old person diagnosed with gender identity disorder who was listed as a man in the household registration to change the registered name to that of a woman, it was learned Monday.
The man, who was registered as Yoshitomo Yamaguchi, had sought to change the name to Yumi. According to the court, Yamaguchi has been living as a woman for some 10 years. During that time, Yamaguchi married a woman but began using the name Yumi three years ago.
In handing down the ruling Feb. 3, presiding Judge Susumu Suenaga acknowledged that having two different names was an obstacle to the plaintiff's work and daily life.
"Changing the name (on the register) is advantageous, and there is a justifiable reason for doing so," he said.
Yamaguchi filed with the Obihiro branch of the Kushiro Family Court last July seeking approval to change the name, saying the male name was an obstacle to identification. But the court rejected the request on the grounds that Yamaguchi did not have a medical certificate for gender identity disorder.
Yamaguchi renewed the request in November, but it was again rejected on grounds that having the couple both use female names "could lead to confusion among third parties and lead to unexpected problems."