A man and a woman plan to jointly sue the government over claims that a law forcing couples to use the same surname upon marriage caused them psychological suffering, sources have said.
Yoshihisa Aono, the 46-year-old president of software development firm Cybozu Inc., and a woman in her 20s will file the suit with the Tokyo District Court next spring, seeking a total of ¥2.2 million ($19,400) in damages, according to the sources.
Both Aono and the woman adopted their spouse's surname after marriage but are demanding the right to use their pre-marriage name through a change to the Family Register Law.