For about 500 years, every person in Japan will have only one surname, Sato. According to a study, this would be because of the law that forces married couples to have a shared surname. The study, led by Professor Hiroshi Yoshida of Tohoku University, estimates that by the year 2531, every Japanese person will be called ‘Sato’ if Japan continues to pressure married couples to choose the same surname.
It is important to note that in 2023, more than 1.5 percent of Japanese people kept the Sato surname. The census shows that this ratio increased by 1.0083 times from 2022 to 2023. If this pace of naming by people continues, then in 2446, almost half of the Japanese population will be known by the surname ‘Sato’, which will increase to 100 percent in 2531, that is, everyone will have the surname Sato.
‘We will have to be called people by number’
According to the report, if Japan does not adopt a selective surname policy and does not abolish the current civil code implemented in the 1800s, then the prevalence of Sato surname will not end. Professor Yoshida said, ‘If everyone becomes Sato, we will have to be called by our first names or digits and it would not be ideal to live in such a world. Yoshida said that although the study and its estimates are based on a number of assumptions, the idea behind the analysis is to focus on the potential effects Japanese marriage laws may have on society.
What is Japan’s surname law?
Japan is the only country in the world that makes it mandatory for couples to have the same surname. Although either spouse can adopt their partner’s surname, 95 percent of the time it is women who adopt their husband’s surname. This law was first introduced in 1898 during the Meiji era. During this period, it was common for women to abandon their maiden name. There is a lot of opposition to this centuries old law. Many people are demanding amendments in it.
