Japan surname law cited in 30% of common-law unions: survey

Nearly 30 percent of people in common-law relationships in Japan have chosen not to marry because they do not want to change their own or their partner's last name, as required by Japanese law, a recent private survey has shown.The survey by Asuniwa, a nongovernmental organization advocating for separate surnames for married couples, found the rate was higher among people in their 20s at around 40 percent, with more than 60 percent of that group saying they would switch to legal marriage if separate surnames were allowed.The Justice Ministry says Japan, to its knowledge, is the only country…READ FULL ARTICLE