Tomoko Yoshino, president of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), has voiced opposition to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government's proposal to grant legal validity to the use of former surnames after marriage. She described the plan as not a full-fledged solution to the current system forcing married couples to share a family name and stressed it as a human rights issue.
In an interview on Tuesday, Tomoko Yoshino, president of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), expressed opposition to a proposal from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's administration to provide legal recognition for using former surnames after marriage. Yoshino stated that the plan "would not be a full-fledged solution (to the current situation in which married couples are forced to use the same family name)." She emphasized that the surname issue is a "matter of human rights."
Yoshino indicated Rengo's intention to collaborate with political parties advocating for a selective dual surname system for married couples, including Komeito, which was formerly a coalition partner of Takaichi's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and is now in the opposition.
This debate has long been a focal point in Japanese society, touching on family law, marriage, and women's issues. The involvement of a major labor group like Rengo could intensify political discussions on the matter.