A Study on “Married Couples Using a Single Surname” and the Traditional “Family” System in Japan

In 1898, when the Civil Code (Act No.89 of 1896) was implemented, “married couples using a single surname and the system of “Family” were established in the form of law. Since then, the two have become tools for the government to manage citizens and consolidate the rule. Also, the two are linked by patriarchy and are firmly rooted in the Japanese legal system and people's value judgments. By combing the historical background of the establishment of “married couples using a single surname” system and the process of the “Family” system from establishment to abolition and then to the existence of the name, it can be concluded that the “Family” system has always acted as a shield for the system of the same surname between husband and wife, at the same time, both are tools firmly in the hands of the Japanese government in order to consolidate the patriarchal value system.