A Japanese court has ruled a woman must use her husband’s surname at work under a 19th century law.
The teacher, who wishes to remain anonymous, filed a lawsuit against her employer, Nihon University Daisangakuen, refused to let her use her maiden name while interacting with pupils and parents, the Guardian reports
The woman, in her 30s, has worked at schools affiliated with the university fir 13 years, and argued her surname was already well-known to colleagues, pupils and a wider audience through published academic research.
However, three make judges in Tokyo ruled the demand she use her married name was “rational”.
While the court agreed more women were choosing to keep their maiden names after getting married, they said it is “not deeply rooted in society”.
Japanese law from the 19th century requires married couples to enter a single surname in family registration documents. Which name they should adopt is not stipulated, but women take their husband’s name in 96 per cent of cases.
The judges also referred to a newspaper poll of 1,000 female workers that found more than 70 per cent used their husband’s name at work.
“I do not want to separate my name and my personal accomplishments, such as writing reference books and giving lectures before marriage,” the teacher said after the ruling.
The decision “destroys a workplace environment that allows people who had to change their surnames to work without undue worries,” she added.
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