In 2004, Japanese writer Yumiko Sugiyama challenged the conventions of marriage with her book Sotsukon no Susume (“Recommending the Graduation from Marriage”). Instead of urging couples to split ...

Women's rights advocates in Japan have struggled for decades for the right of married couples to have different last names. Japan is the only country where they're required to use one surname, which ...

Japan is the only nation where married couples must use the same surname. Critics say it violates women's rights and, unless the rule is scrapped, all Japanese could be surnamed Sato in 500 years.