Japan Ruling, Opposition Parties Discuss Dual Surname System

   Tokyo, July 13 (Jiji Press)--Senior officials from Japan's ruling and opposition parties discussed whether the country should introduce a selective dual surname system for married couples, in a television program on Sunday, a week ahead of a key parliamentary election.
   "A careful discussion is necessary on the matter because it involves the concept of family," Hiroshi Moriyama, secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said.
   Junya Ogawa, secretary-general of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, showed the party's stance of aiming to enact a bill for allowing married couples to have different surnames during an extraordinary session of the Diet, the country's parliament, seen to be convened in autumn.
   "We hope to create a society that provides options," he said.
   Whether Japan should introduce the system is believed to be among major issues for the July 20 election for the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet.

(2025/07/13-13:45)

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