The government is set to promote the wider use of maiden names as it attempts to create a more female-friendly work environment at a time when the nation's labor force is expected to shrink.
The Internal Affairs and Communication Ministry will revamp its systems in a move that will allow married people to print their maiden names alongside their legal family names on My Number identification cards and residence cards, a ministry official said Monday.
Such official cards bearing both names could reduce the trouble many married couples face in the workplace while also encouraging more companies to allow employees to continue using their maiden names after marriage, the Cabinet Office said.