Nippon Ishin submits bill to give legal validity to maiden names

Opposition party Nippon Ishin no Kai has submitted a bill to parliament to legally recognize maiden names, aiming to counter the main opposition's proposal for a selective dual surname system. The measure would allow women to keep their family name after marriage by recording it in the family register as a common surname while maintaining the principle that family members share the same surname. This move seeks to stimulate discussions within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which is internally divided over how married couples' surnames should be handled.