Okoshi Kae
Nihon Geka Gakkai Zasshi. 2016 Jul;117(4):344-8.
On December 16, 2015, the Supreme Court of Japan ruled that Article 750 of the Civil Code enforcing married couples to use the same surname does not violate the Constitution of Japan. It stated, “A husband and wife shall adopt the surname of the husband or wife in accordance with that which is decided at the time of marriage.” While the law does not stipulate which name married couples should adopt, invariably, in fact in 96.3％ of the cases, women adopt their husband’s surname, a reflection of Japan’s male-dominated society and the discrimination against women. With an increasing number of women in the workforce in recent times, those who adopt their husband’s surname face professional inconveniences. Women surgeons, in particular, find that changing their surname after marriage interferes with their career growth; their professional reputation and identity would have to be rebuilt, for example, while making presentations at academic events or publishing papers. In the modern era of individuality and diversity, men and women should have equal rights to pursue a career whether they are married or have children. Women surgeons, in particular, deserve the right to use their original surname to pursue their careers as surgeons and/or medical researchers.
2015年12月16日，日本最高法院裁定，《民法典》中强制已婚夫妇使用相同姓氏的第750条不违反日本宪法。该条规定：“夫妻双方应根据结婚时确定的姓氏采用丈夫或妻子的姓氏。”虽然法律并未规定已婚夫妇应采用哪个姓氏，但实际上，在96.3％的情况下，女性都会采用丈夫的姓氏，这反映了日本男性主导的社会以及对女性的歧视。近年来，随着职场女性数量的增加，采用丈夫姓氏的女性面临职业上的不便。尤其是女外科医生，她们发现婚后更改姓氏会妨碍其职业发展；例如，在学术活动中进行演讲或发表论文时，她们的职业声誉和身份都必须重新建立。在个性与多元化的现代社会，无论男女是否结婚或育有子女，都应享有平等的职业发展权利。尤其是女外科医生，她们有权使用自己原来的姓氏来从事外科医生和/或医学研究人员的职业。
