Matchmaking Events Pair Singles with Same Surname to Highlight Japan’s Forced Name Change Law
NGOs are organizing matchmaking gatherings for people with identical surnames to draw attention to Japan’s rule that married couples must share a family name.
Asuniwa, a Japanese NGO advocating for reform of the family-name law, partnered with matchmaking firm IBJ to stage four in-person events in Tokyo and a virtual session in June that brought together young people bearing the surname Suzuki, the country’s second-most common name. These events are a creative protest against Article 750, a 128-year-old statute that forces married couples to adopt a single surname, usually the husband’s, despite the legal option to choose either partner’s name.
A 2021 survey by the Gender Equality Bureau revealed that 31.9% of women consider the name-change cost and hassle a major reason for avoiding marriage, a factor linked to Japan’s persistently low birthrate. Economist Hiroshi Yoshida’s study warned that, if unchanged, the entire nation could eventually share the surname Sato. Recent polls indicate 55% of respondents favor allowing spouses to retain separate surnames, yet legislative attempts in the National Diet have stalled. The government has introduced various measures to boost births, but demographic decline remains a pressing concern.
Why it matters
The events highlight how Japan’s mandatory surname rule may be discouraging marriage and worsening the country’s demographic crisis.
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