The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the largest opposition party in parliament, submitted a bill to the Lower House on Wednesday that would allow married couples to retain different surnames — the first step in what’s set to be a long debate over the next two months.
The party will now attempt to coalesce a united front against the ruling coalition in cooperation with other opposition parties. However, a clear divide emerging within the opposition camp suggests that further compromise might be necessary on the road to approval.
The CDP’s bid reflects the party’s endeavors to find some common ground with other actors in parliament, CDP Upper House lawmaker and party acting leader Kiyomi Tsujimoto told reporters after the bill’s submission.
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