The Yomiuri Shimbun
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi
7:00 JST, December 4, 2025
The government intends to legalize the use of birth surnames for individuals who changed their name when getting married, while maintaining the principle of a single surname for married couples, according to government sources.
The relevant bill is expected to be submitted to the ordinary Diet session next year.
The bill aims to provide a clear legal basis for using birth surnames and address the inconveniences and disadvantages individuals face when using such surnames in areas such as administrative and financial procedures.
Immediately after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s inauguration in October, she issued instructions to Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi and regional revitalization minister Hitoshi Kikawada, who is also in charge of gender equality, to review expanding the use of former surnames and address the issues that come up due to their use.
In January of this year, before her inauguration, Takaichi compiled a personal plan as a draft to legalize birth surnames. The government and ruling parties are expected use the draft as a basis to proceed and make adjustments.
Currently, it is possible to include a birth surname on documents such as residence certificates, passports and driver’s licenses based on ordinances and regulations.
However, a 2022 survey by the Cabinet Office and other organizations indicates that challenges remain in the broader adoption of birth surnames, particularly in the private sector. For example, more than 30% of banks do not allow accounts to be opened or maintained under a birth surname.
The prime minister’s draft bill explicitly incorporates a system into the new law that records birth surnames on resident certificates, thereby enabling the names to be used as common names.
The draft bill also requires that the central government, local governments and business operators strive to implement the necessary steps to facilitate the use of birth surnames.
The coalition agreement between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party includes a provision for submitting a bill that would legalize the use of birth surnames.
Given that the Democratic Party for the People and Sanseito have also expressed openness to similar legalization, the government and ruling parties intend to secure its passage after coordinating with opposition parties through discussions as necessary, the sources said.
Some LDP lawmakers advocate for the introduction of a system that would use only use births surnames on resident **certificates**, while the family register would maintain the shared surname.
Meanwhile, the LDP also includes advocates of a separate surname system for married couples, which would allow each spouse to retain their respective surname if desired.
Among LDP proponents for separate surnames, there is strong opposition to legalizing birth surnames, which may lead to difficulties in future party negotiations over the bill.
