Diet Panel Starts Deliberations on Dual Surname Bills

   Tokyo, May 30 (Jiji Press)--A committee of Japan's House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, on Friday began deliberations on three bills submitted by opposition parties related to a selective dual surname system for married couples.
   At the day's meeting of the Lower House's Judicial Affairs Committee, the leading opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) and the Democratic Party for the People respectively gave summaries of their bills.
   This was the first deliberation in 28 years at the committee on legislation for a selective dual surname system for married couples.
   The bills submitted respectively by the CDP and the DPFP are designed to revise the Civil Code to allow married couples in the country to choose the same or different surnames.
   As ways to decide children's surnames, the CDP bill calls on married couples to decide these at the time of their marriage. The DPFP bill proposes that children have the same surnames as the first registrants on the family register, which parents would select at the time of their marriage.

(2025/05/30-22:13)

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