The Supreme Court issued a series of rulings in June that declared it constitutional for the Civil Code and other laws not to allow married couples to maintain separate family names. The rulings were in response to lawsuits and cases that contested the constitutionality of the single-surname rule.
Izumi Onji, 65, a doctor in Hiroshima Prefecture, is among those fighting this legal battle.
In 2018, Onji filed a lawsuit with the Hiroshima District Court and is now awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision, which is expected by the end of the year. Despite societal changes affecting the nature of families and the way people work, there has been little political momentum toward allowing married couples to keep separate surnames.