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July 24, 2026
 

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NAMES

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on Feb. 18.
51勛圖厙 / Politics
Mar 13, 2026
Japanese government OKs gender equality plan featuring use of maiden names
It aims to submit legislation related to the sixth gender equality basic plan, which contains measures to be taken over the next five years, to the ongoing session of parliament.
The Liberal Democratic Party holds a meeting to discuss the government's sixth basic plan for gender equality at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on Thursday.
51勛圖厙
Mar 6, 2026
Japan considers legalizing use of original surnames on their own after marriage
The plan is expected to be approved by the Cabinet later this month.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, flanked by Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki (left) and LDP Vice President Taro Aso, attend a party meeting at LDP headquarters in Tokyo's Nagatacho district on Tuesday.
51勛圖厙 / Politics
Jan 21, 2026
LDP uses election manifesto to pledge stable rare earths supply amid China row
The ruling party says it will also accelerate talks on eliminating the current 8% consumption tax on food for two years as Japan grapples with inflation.
Tomoko Yoshino, president of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, or Rengo, met Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara at the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday, where they are believed to have discussed the draft report.
51勛圖厙 / Politics
Dec 24, 2025
Japan to delay new gender equality program to next year
The delay comes amid concerns over a plan to legalize the use of birth names for married couples, which was added to the draft of a report serving as the basis for the program.
Rengo President Tomoko Yoshino during an interview in Tokyo on Tuesday
51勛圖厙
Dec 17, 2025
Head of Rengo opposes government＊s plan on surnames
Tomoko Yoshino showed her intention to cooperate with political parties supporting the introduction of a selective dual surname system for married couples.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi walks inside parliament in Tokyo on Oct. 24.
51勛圖厙 / Society
Dec 6, 2025
Japan considers bill on original surname use in gender equality program
The move is in response to a plan by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi＊s administration to enact a bill on the matter during next year＊s ordinary session of parliament.
Lower House lawmaker Hitoshi Aoyagi from the Japan Innovation Party speaks during an interview in his parliamentary office on Nov. 20.
51勛圖厙 / Politics / FOCUS
Nov 26, 2025
Japan one step closer to relaxing single-surname rule for married couples
While still having married couples adopt the same surname, the ruling coalition is working on a bill that would allow the option of giving more weight to birth names.
Parents in Japan consider everything from kanji meaning, sound and total strokes when choosing names for their newborns.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 8, 2025
＆Deep Blue,＊ ＆Morning Sun,＊ ＆Clear Sky＊: Japan＊s top baby names for 2025
Single-kanji names jumped in popularity this year, possibly in reaction to a new law aiming to crack down on overly creative §kira kira§ names.
A man arrested in Fukuoka for allegedly using a forged teaching license changed his surname repeatedly over the years.
51勛圖厙 / Crime & Legal
Oct 17, 2025
Teacher in Fukuoka avoided identification on child sex registry by changing name
The board of education said that it did not find the suspect＊s name on the national register when it hired him this spring.
In the latest survey, many opponents of the dual surname system expressed concerns about parents and their children having different surnames, and about family breakdown.
51勛圖厙
Oct 15, 2025
Government flooded with public comments against dual surnames
In a survey, many opponents of the dual surname system expressed concerns about parents and their children having different surnames.
Set to become first husband, former Lower House lawmaker Taku Yamamoto is supportive of Sanae Takaichi potentially becoming prime minister despite the political circumstances surrounding the Liberal Democratic Party.
51勛圖厙 / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 9, 2025
Takaichi taking office will herald arrival of Japan＊s first-ever first husband
Former LDP Lower House lawmaker Taku Yamamoto has supported Sanae Takaichi＊s position on surnames after marriage and her bid to lead Japan.
People listen to stump speeches earlier this month in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, ahead of the Upper House election.
51勛圖厙 / Politics
Jul 11, 2025
Dual surnames for married couples in focus ahead of Japan poll
The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has urged the Japanese government to introduce the system four times.
Reports claim that children with unusual names were being bullied at school and facing difficulties finding jobs.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 6, 2025
What＊s in a name? With new guidelines, the Japanese government wants to know.
Japan now requires official furigana for names in the family register, aiming to limit overly creative ※kira-kira§ readings.
Nipppon Ishin no Kai members submit to the Lower House on Monday a bill to give legal validity to maiden names.
51勛圖厙 / Politics
May 19, 2025
Nippon Ishin submits bill to give legal validity to maiden names
The DPP is preparing its own bill and Komeito plans to wait for the LDP to consolidate party opinion on the issue.
Since the LDP resumed discussions on the issue in February, members against introducing a selective dual surname system have been gaining momentum, calling for expanding the use of maiden names.
51勛圖厙
May 12, 2025
LDP to forgo compiling bill on dual surname system
The LDP concluded that it would be unwise to create divisions within the party ahead of this summer＊s election for the House of Councilors.
A survey by a private group found that 30% of people in de facto marriages in Japan have not filed for marriage registration because they or their partners do not want to change their surnames.
51勛圖厙
May 6, 2025
About 30% of those in de facto marriages refuse to marry over surname change
Nearly half of such people are willing to file if a system allowing married spouses to use different surnames is introduced.
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan lawmakers speak to reporters in parliament on Wednesday after submitting a bill in the Lower House to allow married couples to retain different surnames.
51勛圖厙 / Politics
Apr 30, 2025
CDP submits bill proposal on separate surnames, but challenges remain
Japan remains the only country in the world that forces couples to use one surname after marriage.
Members of a Liberal Democratic Party panel discuss proposals about allowing spouses to retain their respective surnames, in Tokyo on Thursday.
51勛圖厙 / Politics / FOCUS
Mar 10, 2025
Eternal debate over surname law comes to fore again
Since last October＊s general election, momentum has picked up for a legislative change to allow married couples to retain different surnames.
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda addresses a rally calling for the introduction of a system allowing married couples to choose whether to use the same or different family names on Feb. 26 at parliament.
51勛圖厙 / Politics
Mar 8, 2025
Some 44% of Japanese lawmakers back selective dual surname system
The figure far outstrips the 1% who said that the country should maintain its current same surname system.
The proportion of respondents who said that the surname debate was something they felt they had a personal stake in increased by 2.7 percentage points from the previous survey by the Cabinet Office in 2022.
51勛圖厙
Feb 4, 2025
44% in Japan feel they might be affected by dual-surname debate
The possible introduction of a selective dual-surname system was one of the key issues in last year＊s election for the leadership of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer＊s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ※seed§ that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ※Peak 1 amyloid beta,§ as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" 〞 an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi＊s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan＊s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

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