Japanese Women Sue to Keep Maiden Names

Group is challenging requirement to take husband's name

By Alp_Arslan, Newser User

Posted Jan 12, 2011 2:08 PM CST | Promoted on Newser Jan 12, 2011 2:28 PM CST

(User Submitted) – Reminiscent of the Shogun TV miniseries set in 17th-century Japan, women there still must change their last names to that of their husbands when they marry. So a number of happily married women are suing the government over the requirement, seeking to use their maiden names instead, reports the Guardian. Said one woman, "I thought that I would get used to my husband's name, but I could not, and a sense of loss grew inside me." Click for more.

Women attend a tea ceremony class at a cooking studio in Tokyo's business and commercial complex called Tokyo Midtown. (AP)

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Showing 3 of 16 comments

Phantom09

Jan 13, 2011 10:04 AM CST

So let me get this straight... you love your husband enough to have married him... but you don't love him enough to share the same last name... what?

Mr. Wonderful

Jan 12, 2011 10:26 PM CST

Just great our American Femi Nazi's have taken over Japanese Women now! You Femi Nazi's need to stop your spread of hatred towards men! And I thought the spread of communism, socialism, and terrorism was bad, now we have the spread of Femi Nazism, wow. It is an honor to have your girl take your name, not demeaning in anyway, to bad you don't see that. It is as important to a man that his best gal take his name as a large beautiful wedding is to a woman.

Laughing__Man

Jan 12, 2011 4:48 PM CST

After a year of taking Japanese I learned the custom in Japan is for the man to take the woman's last name. I'm going to side with my instructor who was born there over this article which claims the opposite.

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Japanese Women Sue to Keep Maiden Names

Group is challenging requirement to take husband's name

Japan • marriage • name

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More Newser Stories

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Groom keeps company with anime character accessory, buys it meals

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German Court Says Nein to Long Last Names

Ruling upholds ban on "chain names" with more than one hyphen

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