6 couples sue government to claim 'separate surnames'

Six couples in Japan sued the government today, March 8, to claim the right to use their own surnames after marriage, AFP reported.

Aside from the paperwork headache of having to change names on everything from passports to bank accounts, this also causes problems for women who already have stable careers.

Where couples do not register their marriage to avoid trouble, this threatens a series of rights for themselves and their children, especially inheritance rights.

One of the 50-year-old plaintiffs said she and her partner had lived together for 17 years and raised a daughter together but were not married.

Married couples in Japan must choose either the husband's or the wife's surname.

"The fact that we are not a legal couple, even though we have lived together as a family for 17 years, can cause problems such as not being able to become legal heirs or not being able to sign consent papers for surgery for our children, or disadvantages related to tax laws," the person said.

According to court records, the lawsuit aims to "confirm the illegality of the government's failure to amend the law" and to compel each plaintiff to pay 500,000 yen (US$3,600) in compensation.

"In other countries, there is no trade-off between surnames and marriage. But in Japan, if you choose one, you have to give up the other," lawyer Makiko Terahara told reporters.

Calls to allow the use of first names have grown in recent years. Japan's Supreme Court has twice ruled in 2015 and 2021 that the current law is constitutional, but has also urged lawmakers to debate a new bill to address the issue.

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