Candidates for Feb. poll divided over different surname system in Japan

TOKYO - Candidates planning to run in the Feb. 8 House of Representatives election are roughly split over the controversial issue of allowing married couples to retain separate surnames, a Kyodo News survey showed Sunday.

When asked to choose from three options regarding changing one's surname upon marriage, 47.8 percent said married couples should be allowed the option to keep different surnames, while 45.1 percent backed a single legal surname while allowing spouses to use their premarriage surnames more broadly in daily life.