Japanese Couples Must Share Surnames

Under Japanese law, married couples must legally use the same surname, so a Japanese couple generally cannot register a marriage while each spouse keeps a different legal family name. Article 750 of Japan's Civil Code allows the couple to choose either the husband's or the wife's surname, although in practice the husband's name is chosen in the overwhelming majority of marriages. Japan's Supreme Court upheld the same-surname requirement as constitutional in both 2015 and 2021, leaving any change to lawmakers.

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