Dual Surname System Seen as Key Issue in LDP Race

Tokyo, Sept. 1 (Jiji Press)--The issue of whether Japan should introduce a selective dual surname system for married couples is expected to be a major issue in the upcoming leadership election of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

While many members of the public and the Japan Business Federation, the country's biggest group of employers better known as Keidanren, are calling for early introduction of the system, opposition to it, mainly among conservative LDP members who value the traditional view of family, remains deep-rooted.

Potential candidates in the Sept. 27 LDP leadership election differ in their stances on the system.

Former LDP Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba, 67, and digital transformation minister Taro Kono, 61, both of whom have already announced their candidacies, are in favor of the introduction.

Ishiba claimed, "We must allow couples to choose their surnames." Kono said, "It's better for us to accept the selective dual surname system."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]