It was recently announced that 6 couples in Tokyo are to file lawsuits against the Japanese government, challenging that the country’s law of forcing married couples to share the same surname is unconstitutional. More specifically, the couples say that this is a violation of the Constitution guaranteeing freedom of marriage. Thus, they should be compensated for the damages and be able to keep their surnames after marriage.
The 6 couples consist of 5 common-law couples in their 30s to 60s and 1 married couple in their 60s. The couples shared how many people face identity crises after losing their maiden name. They also shared how it is hard to maintain the trust and reputation attached to their birth name.
There have been many similar lawsuits of people seeking separate surnames after marriage in Japan over the same provision, with the Supreme Court upholding this separate surname ban as constitutional in 2015 and 2021 over a majority vote.
Source: NHK
