In Japan, the surname comes first. When a woman gets married — and yes, this is an issue that mainly affects women — she generally must change her name. Passports, credit cards and even formal introductions all need to change, too.
This isn’t a situation that only happens in this country, but Japan is the only nation that forces a couple to choose one joint surname, an idea that was reinforced on June 23 when the Supreme Court upheld a 2015 ruling that married couples must share a name.
More than a few members of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party take a conservative view on the topic, arguing that different surnames could negatively impact family unity and, in turn, children. The LDP is divided, however, with some members in favor of choice. Meanwhile, other political parties, such as the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, call the decision “outdated.”