Comment on “UN CEDAW Recommends Japan to Introduce Separate Surnames for Married Couples and Amend the Imperial Household Law” [in Japanese]
On October 29, 2024, a comment of Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law on the Asahi Shimbun article, “UN CEDAW Recommends Japan to Introduce Separate Surnames for Married Couples and Amend the Imperial Household Law” was published. The article discusses the “concluding observations” issued by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which include recommendations to the Japanese government. Professor Ichihara commented that while Japanese citizens who marry foreign nationals are not required to change their surname in the family registry, those who marry Japanese citizens are forced to adopt the same surname. She pointed out that this system discriminates against Japanese citizens who marry other Japanese citizens compared to those who marry foreign nationals.
