Japan's Ishiba Open to Compromise on Dual Surnames

   Tokyo, March 21 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Friday that a compromise would be a realistic way to solve the issue of whether to introduce a selective dual surname system for married couples.
   "It's true that there has been no answer that satisfies both sides," agreeing or opposing the system, Ishiba told the Budget Committee of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament.
   The question is "whether there is an answer that does not fully satisfy both but is still acceptable," he said. "There won't be any answer if neither side concedes at all."
   Ishiba, who was responding to questions from Sakura Uchikoshi of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, seems to have in mind the idea of expanding the use of original family names proposed by his Liberal Democratic Party.
   Uchikoshi requested the ruling LDP to allow its members to make their own decisions the matter at the time of parliamentary voting. Ishiba rejected, saying, "It's not something we should be told to do by others."

(2025/03/21-16:11)

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