Everyone in Japan will now bear the common Japanese surname for the next 500 years unless there's a new law that permits couples to bear a distinct surname, new research reveals that it is a civil code that dates back to the early 1800s.
The research was carried out at the Tohoku University and led by professor Hiroshi Yosida who is a professor of economy. It was discovered that if every couple bears the same name after marriage, everyone in Japan would bear the same surname (Sato) by the year 2531.
In Japan, people marry around the age of 30 years and according to the custom, couples are to drop their maiden names to start bearing a single Surname which the bride majority of times forgoes her single name to bear her husband's surname. Over 90% of wives in Japan give up their single names to bear their husband's Surname (Sato). Everyone would become Sato which means Sugar in a few years.
He says: "If everyone bears the common Japanese surname Sato, we might be forced to address ourselves using first names or using numbers which I don't think would be a great World to live in." A country of Sato would confuse individual dignity and might lead to the loss of family heritage.
According to the calculations made by Yoshida, the percentage of Japanese who are addressed by the common Japanese surname Sato amounted to 1.5 percent of the country's total population. From the period 2022 to 2023, the surname has increased by another 1.0083. If the rate continues to rise and there's no change in the country's marriage law almost every Japanese will bear that name by the year 2446 and by 2531, every single person would bear the same surname, Sato.
Professor Yoshida further explained that the research was based on assumptions and that numbers were used to explain the foreseeable effects of the present system of Japanese society and to call people's attention to the problem.
Couples Sue Japanese Government In Protest Against Japanese Common Names
There is an increasing desire for change as groups and couples are calling campaigns. Six different couples have Sued the Japanese government over the ancient marriage law that requires that married couples have the same surname. Plaintiff couples both in legal and common law have filed a suit at the District Court in Toronto another couple from Sapporo also sent theirs coincidentally on International Women's Day. The Supreme Law responded that the suit would be reviewed in the parliament.
Although the government has given consent for maiden names to appear on legal papers together with married names, Japan is the only country that forces spouses to use the same surname.
Professor Yoshida aims to legalize the opportunity for individuals to select their names so that by the year 2531, only 7.96% of common Japanese surnames will make the total country population.