Japanese woman forced to use married name at work under 19th century law

A court has ruled that a Japanese school teacher must use her married surname at work, with her employer’s enforcement being described as “rational".

The teacher filed a lawsuit against her employer, Nihon University Daisangakuen, for refusing to allow her to use her original name in professional interactions. She asked the school for permission to maintain her original name in 2013.

The three male judges on the case acknowledged that an increasing number of married women continued to use their birth names at work but it “has yet to take root in society” - The Guardian reports.

The Chief Judge, Atsushi Onose, said in court: “In identifying and distinguishing each individual, the surname registered in the family registration system serves better than the maiden name.”