00:01
What's up amazing people, this is Iyasasa Radio of Akane and Minami.
In this radio, we are going to talk about random topics in Okinawan Japanese and English.
Hi everyone!
This is Iyasasa Radio of Akane and Minami.
In this radio, we are going to talk about random topics in Okinawan Japanese and English.
Forcing married couples to use the same surname are constitutional upholding the Supreme Court judgment from 2015.
Among the 15 justices, 4 said prohibiting separate surnames was unconstitutional compared with 5 who expressed the same view in the 2015 ruling.
The latest decision again said the surname issue is a matter that should be discussed in the Diet rather than in the courts.
Japan is the only country in the world known to have a law forcing married couples to share the surname according to the Justice Ministry.
The United Nations Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women has also recommended that Japan change the system.
As of 2015, 96% of married couples in Japan use the husband's surname according to government data.
Many companies and public offices in Japan now allow female employees to retain their maiden names at work.
The government has been slowly expanding the scope of official documents used for identification that show maiden names in addition to registered surnames.
A Kyoto News survey conducted in March and April showed a total of 60% of respondents in Japan said married couples should be able to have separate surnames while 38% said they are against the idea.
There was a trial in which the Civil Code and the Statutes of Independence, which do not allow married couples to have separate surnames, were re-judged as unconstitutional.
According to the Ministry of Justice, Japan is the only country in the world to have a law forcing married couples to share the same surname.
The United Nations has repeatedly pointed out that Japan's system is discriminatory.
25 years ago, the Japanese government proposed the Civil Code to introduce a system that allows married couples to have separate surnames.
It is a system that allows married couples to choose whether to have the same or separate surnames.
However, there is still a strong opposition and it has not been implemented.
However, in the survey, the opinion of those who are in favor of having separate surnames is much higher than that of those who are against it.
03:08
If you were asked, which would you choose?
In order to answer, you need to know why the people in favor agree, and why the people against it disagree.
It was after the Meiji Restoration that all people began to have surnames.
At first, married couples had separate surnames.
In 1898, the Civil Code was enacted in Meiji 31, and it was decided that married couples should have the same surname as their husbands.
After the Meiji Restoration, the Civil Code was enacted in 1947, and married couples were allowed to have the same or separate surnames.
However, in fact, the number of cases in which a wife names her husband's surname is overwhelmingly high, and in the survey of the Ministry of Labor in 2015, it was 96%.
The United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia, etc. are allowed to choose whether to have the same or separate surnames.
France, Korea, and China are generally separate surnames.
Italy and Turkey are combined surnames that combine the surnames of married couples.
Some of these countries used to be married couples.
In Germany, for example, in 1979, the United Nations adopted the Women's Discrimination Act, which strengthened the flow of married couples introducing selective surnames.
After the war, Japan has come to a balance between the so-called progressive people who value individual freedom and the conservative people who value social stability and order.
The issue of the sex of this couple is exactly in that structure.
Please think about which of these structures and the flow of the world you put in your head will be negative for you.
I'll give you a little supplementary information.
In Japan during the Edo period, sex was thought to represent one's genitalia, and women did not change their sex after marriage, but named the sex of the house where they were born.
At that time, the house was basically composed of the couple, their bloodline, and the spouse, and now it was like a small family business.
It was like recruiting a suitable person to fulfill the duty of a wife.
Also, at the time, the marriage to establish a marital relationship was considered to be a contract between the house and the spouse, but in the first place, the opinion of the person at the time of marriage was not ignored.
When it did not match the food, it was easy for the husband and wife to divorce, regardless of which request.
In addition, it was evaluated that the woman who married once had experience in the food of the house, and the divorce did not work negatively, and it was easy to remarry as if to change jobs.
06:12
The appearance of women in Japan during the Edo period began with the interpretation of the Christian doctrine,
that women should not follow their own will, and that they should all follow their husbands.
This kind of women's discrimination is included in the social contract, and it seems to be quite independent compared to Western society.
However, while the Western concept of marriage and legal concepts were introduced in the Meijinshin,
it was transformed into a family where the biological attributes of the husband and wife from the house, which is like a corporate body based on food, were pushed out to the front,
and the subsequent social changes were combined to create a hierarchical structure throughout society.
It's kind of a heavy topic, but there were a lot of things that I didn't know.
One is that Japan is the only one left country that we take.
I didn't know that. Only one.
It reminds me of the Meiji era.
It reminds me of master reading.
It's an interesting story that sounds a bit conservative because of the influence of the West.
Now, the West is doing things like marital discrimination.
We've only lived for 30 years, so we look progressive, but if you go back to the Edo era, Japan was also quite free.
It's so important to see things from a bigger picture.
That was interesting that in the Edo era, getting married is like having a new job.
It's easy to get divorced, and if you get divorced, it's not even a negative thing.
It shows that you have many experiences.
That's true.
It's kind of advantageous.
It's like a transfer family.
09:00
It's a woman who's been to a lot of houses.
I didn't know that all men should follow Christ.
That's why.
I didn't know that there was such a thought.
We still don't know.
I feel like there's been a lot of news about marital discrimination in the past year or two.
If you think about it now, it's a merit or a demerit from the current position of homosexuality or homosexuality.
Plus, it's just a matter of feeling.
Looking back at it all, I don't feel comfortable.
For example, most women change their surname when they get married.
It doesn't mean they're going to lose their identity.
But I think some people feel that way.
For example, let's say you really like your name.
You know, when you change your name, it used to be my family's name.
And all of their driver's licenses and passports were all my family's surnames.
But it suddenly changed to a new name.
It makes me feel like I'm new.
It's like a new adventure.
When I see my family, my dad and my mom, they seem like they're kind of sad about it.
It's like, even if I'm helping them, I'm still a Uehara.
It used to be a neighborhood, but I can see what they've been through.
I think so, too.
It didn't change anything in real life, but on the paper, it's really obvious.
I felt a big difference at the time.
I think that's the most biggest thing that you've experienced in your life.
But you get used to it.
The only thing that bothers me is the legal side of things, like work and property.
12:05
It's only when it comes to the law that I feel like there's a huge disadvantage.
That's true.
My new husband's surname sounds really normal.
You mean like Okinawan name?
It's popular in Okinawa.
It sounds okay.
It doesn't sound funny.
It was my first name, so I didn't feel uncomfortable with it.
I was so done with it.
I was ready for it.
But if it's so unique, I might want to think about it a little bit.
I talked about this before I recorded this.
I don't think it's about how much love you have for your partner.
It's about the system.
If it's your partner's name, it's your name for the society.
I don't know if it's right to say it's a disadvantage, but it's something that's uncomfortable.
For example, fortune-telling.
I say it a lot, but I'm really worried about the number of strokes.
There are fortune-tellers like Every Yuta, but Miyamino's number of strokes is almost perfect.
In that sense, if the number of strokes is so strong, I'm worried about it.
But in my case, it happens.
Really?
Maybe.
Kinjo Akane is super perfect.
Uehara Akane is a little subtle.
A little?
Maybe.
It means to go down from a good point to a bad point.
It's like that, but I just go for it.
I'm a little surprised if you say it like a substitute.
15:01
It means that Kinjo Akane is too good, right?
Maybe.
But I think that's because my parents gave it to me.
That's true.
You can change it up to your name.
You can only change it to kanji.
Well, that's another story.
I just looked up the merits and disadvantages of separation between husband and wife, so I'll tell you.
The merit is that you don't need a continuation because your gender doesn't change.
Privacy is maintained.
What?
Why?
The gender of the seat does not change, so the gender recognized as a colleague does not change, and the marriage history and divorce history do not remain.
There is a merit that privacy is maintained from the point of view that it is difficult for people around you to know about marriage and divorce.
That's true.
I'm happy to hear congratulations on your marriage, but if there's someone who's jealous of that, it's kind of scary.
It's a story that seems to be common to women.
It's a story that seems to be common to women.
That's right.
You can also achieve gender equality.
It is also said that it is forced on the inside for women to change their genders, so there are few women who feel stress.
That's right.
That's what I'm talking about.
The disadvantage is that the child becomes a non-dispatcher.
The disadvantage is that the child becomes a non-dispatcher.
Oh, marriage.
It means that it is not a child legally.
I don't know.
It's kind of complicated.
Also, the right to inheritance is not recognized.
Since they are not legally married, they cannot become legal heirs to each other.
They cannot receive inheritance.
If the dispatcher dies.
But...
Yeah.
Oh, there's more?
Yeah.
Also, it is difficult to receive legal aid.
It is not recognized as a dispatcher even by the tax law.
Oh.
I see.
It cannot be an agent or guarantor.
It cannot be used in cases of sudden injuries or diseases.
It cannot be used as a household loan or a mobile phone family.
18:03
It's getting smaller.
Yeah.
That's what it means.
But those disadvantages that you mentioned from the article is like...
It's based on...
It's based on the disadvantages of being a non-dispatcher.
It's such a contradiction.
What about other countries?
It's strange to say that being a non-dispatcher is a disadvantage even though it's not recognized.
It's a natural disadvantage.
Because this law is not recognized.
If it's a dispatcher, it's only a disadvantage.
It's natural.
There was also a story about household loans and inheritance.
But if Japan changes the law with the...
How do you say?
Selection?
Optional surnames, things, whatever.
Then, the household loan...
The whole other world would be changed.
...would be changed anyways.
So if you put those disadvantages together,
it's like, what the fuck?
There's no point, right?
That's right.
And you know what?
It surprised me that they say it's...
It started 25 years ago.
It started from 25 years ago.
To reach out, to change the law, to we can be able to choose our surname.
Or not.
Or combine them.
I don't know, but...
It's like, how long have you been fighting for?
Japan takes forever to do everything.
Compared to other countries.
Minoriko is already dead.
But you know, so...
Of course, if...
Imagine we're a politician in a congress.
It's so hard to organize people's names,
like what family belongs to what family,
by other surnames.
But they're all together.
It's hard to manage.
There's no room for imagination.
Just imitate other countries' system.
Yeah, but...
I think it's okay to change it every 2 or 3 years.
But like, 25 hours is bullshit.
It sounds like an insult.
But if you change it,
if it doesn't work, you can change it again.
Besides, France, Korea, and China are separate.
So what?
Italy and Turkey are combined.
I like that.
No.
Kinjo, Uehara.
Combined...
I like that.
21:00
And you wrote that you can choose your children.
Yeah, I can.
Which one?
Well, that's a different issue.
Why was Japan left behind?
There weren't many countries in the first place
that made same-sex marriage compulsory.
Really?
Yeah.
But in a German article,
you can choose, but...
24% of the people choose their husbands.
Well, that's the way it is.
It's always like that.
You should have options.
As a basic idea,
if you can choose,
the whole conversation would change among all those couples.
When you say you want to separate,
it might be just me,
but there are times when women have a strong image.
In South Korea, too.
Like, if they're doing well at work,
or if their family background is normal.
Ah, if they're married?
If they're married.
If they're married.
Yeah, if they're married,
it's okay to separate.
Some people want to do it.
I think there's a social image,
like a socially strong personality.
It's different from reality.
If you can choose,
you wouldn't have this weird image.
Yeah.
I think it's unfair.
But it can't be helped.
Because we're same-sex.
If your wife wants to get married,
you should stop doing it.
I got a new idea.
But if there is ketsugo-sei,
dou-sei, bet-sei, ketsugo-sei,
is there any shinsei?
Unisurname between two people.
Minami and Akane create a new surname.
Iyasasa Minami.
Yeah.
What the hell?
Don't take either name.
Whole brand new surname.
That sounds cool.
It's like choosing a child's name.
Since we're getting married,
we changed the name.
You write it only at the end, right?
Yeah.
Then the number of characters should increase.
Kirakira means sparkling.
Yeah.
It's messy.
I saw an article in Finland.
Kato-san became Kato-san.
24:01
Kato is Japanese Kato.
Yeah.
A Finnish husband and a Japanese wife
decided to have a Japanese-made Kato.
But in Finland,
it's not like that.
All the papers are written in Kato.
Does it have a different meaning?
Is it hard to say?
It's hard to say.
So it's kind of like
creating a new surname by themselves.
The way they read it.
Since they have like a social issue,
if the name of Finland is Japanese,
it's like that.
Yeah.
In Finland,
the name Aho-san is so popular.
Like Tanaka.
If you get married with Aho-san,
probably sounds a little bit funny in Japan.
So you should change
the sounds.
Like Aho-san.
I don't know.
If you change it, will it get better?
Well, yeah.
That's illegal, it says.
It should be legal.
It's a language barrier thing.
It can't be helped.
Is there a new surname in that sense?
So it's probably
going to be possible.
I think so.
New idea.
But it says it's rare in Japan.
But when you search the article in English,
you couldn't find it much.
Yeah.
Overseas,
they don't even discuss
same-sex marriage.
I had to google
Japan, surname, law.
If I didn't do that,
I couldn't find anything.
And all the articles are in Japanese.
So I guess it's a Japanese topic.
Yeah.
So old-fashioned.
If you don't look it up,
you can't find anything.
From my point of view.
I don't think same-sex marriage is a new thing.
There was a time when same-sex marriage was common.
In other countries,
it was a basic thing.
If it's a big issue,
then why don't we start same-sex marriage?
That's what I think.
Well,
I guess there are many reasons.
27:02
I think so.
I think there is a weird uniqueness of Japanese people.
For example, women's support.
And men's pride.
In terms of the situation.
In Okinawa,
men give money to women's family.
In Yuino,
it's not a couple.
It's a separation of parents.
Parents get married,
so they give money to their daughters.
That's the way it works.
Men have to give money.
In some places,
it's near a woman's house.
If it's a woman living in the prefecture,
they give money to her.
Originally,
there were men in a woman's family.
Women had to give money to them.
And men had to give money to their daughters.
That's how it worked.
I see.
It's like a drama.
A woman enters her husband's house as a wife.
Goodbye, Dad and Mom.
It's like a drama.
I think it's a very deep topic.
It's not just a name.
Because names are related to everything.
Family, yourself.
Countries and regions
are different from the islands and the mainland.
Yuino and the way of thinking of marriage.
The style of marriage in the house and the region
has changed a lot.
Even in Japan.
The way of thinking of international marriage is quite different.
Yeah.
If it's a very progressive family,
it ends quickly.
If it's a super traditional family,
it's super easy when it's just the two of them.
But suddenly, it's a family drama.
In my case,
Yuino and I are all siblings.
30:01
But I didn't do it.
Because the other person's parents are American.
Is that so?
So you don't do it either way?
I used to do it,
but when I think about the other person,
I feel like I don't have to do it.
Interesting.
So in the end, it's about how you feel.
If you don't do it, you won't die.
You won't be cursed.
It's a matter of everyone's feelings.
Well, if you say that, it's all true.
I wonder when this discussion will end.
I feel like I'm an old lady.
When I was recognized as a lesbian.
But now there's a lot of talk about gender.
There's a lot of talk about truth.
I think it's going to be about 10 years from now.
I think the easiest process to make you work than LGBT marriage.
That's another child's story.
There's a lot of stuff in there.
I think it's the easiest thing to do if you're a lesbian.
I really want to find out about LGBT marriage.
I want to know more about it.
But marriage itself is a human creation.
It's not something you have to do.
I think the existence of two loving couples is a completely different problem.
It's a different event.
It's been combined for about 100 years.
If it's going so well, I won't get married.
It's just a flow.
If you look at it in a bigger picture, it's not a big deal.
It's not good to pay taxes.
It's a matter of law.
33:00
It's up to politicians and the state to decide.
If you're doing your job as a citizen, you should be given the right to do so.
So why does it change from man to woman?
It doesn't make sense.
For some reason, it's always about taxes.
What else can you do if you work and contribute to society and pay taxes to the country?
If you want to have a child, you can make it.
If you have children and pay taxes, what is the problem for the government?
I don't know what that means.
Why don't you just take the money?
If it's a citizen's duty, it's a tax.
I don't know why it has to be a man and a woman.
For what?
I don't know. It's a progressive mind.
Do you think it's going to be a minority?
I don't know where the data is coming from.
For example, there are a lot of children who have no parents.
If we can open up the system, there will be as many as possible.
It's a decision-making system, especially in Japan.
Akane just told me.
I can't talk about it, so I'll just do it.
I'll think about it after I do it.
I'll try it, and if it doesn't work, I'll get advice from the country I'm in.
What do you think about polyamorous relationships?
What?
There are three or four people who love each other.
Like multiple children.
It's a jealous world, so it's a whole different story.
There are people who are not equal in the world.
That's something we can't understand.
But I want to have my husband 100%.
That's your thought.
Yeah.
But if I can only have 50%, I'll do 100% of it.
36:06
You don't have to go there.
It's some kind of people who have those minds.
Those people don't have jealousy.
For example, among those three or four people.
There are other people, but among those three people...
Don't you have anything like that?
Cheating and cheating?
Maybe...
Let's say Chichi is a human.
Three people.
I don't know, but...
Relationships are born every year.
One-on-one relationships are monopoly.
Mono is a single thing.
Polyamory is a poly-multiple relationship.
They're getting more and more assertive.
That's also me.
Three people love each other.
That's...
What did they say about it?
So they got married with three people.
In Seattle, a more progressive city,
I don't know if it's legal, but they're doing it.
Is it like sharing a room every day?
Three people sleep together.
If it's three people.
Having sex.
Of course, it's always three people.
That's interesting.
It's amazing, isn't it?
I wish it was normal.
For many people.
It's not normal yet.
There are still a few people in our lives.
I think it's fun to spend time with two people.
That's your relationship.
But outside the house, there's always someone.
I always have friends and family.
I don't care about that.
But polyamory is love.
Watch the drama.
It looks interesting.
It's peaceful.
I think fighting is better than two people.
Watch the drama.
It's not a real couple.
If there are three people,
then two people have an argument.
Then one person becomes the judge.
Depending on the topic.
I can't tell you the balance in that sense.
39:03
It looks good.
But in the TV show,
the original couple meets a new woman.
Then they fall in love.
It sounds a little realistic.
I saw it on Netflix.
Yes.
So...
I think this is the idea now.
It's like what to do when you talk to a neighbor.
It's just a new idea for the majority of the people.
If you're in Japan,
or if you don't watch English media,
maybe you don't know about it.
Maybe some of you know it because you don't like it.
Actually, there are three or four people
who are 100% trying to fall in love.
When I saw the drama,
I thought,
there's something called love.
I like both of them.
I really like both of them.
So I want to have both of them.
If it's normal,
and if they want to do it,
I'll do it.
If it's just love,
I'll do it.
But if it's just three people,
what should I do?
I don't know.
I think it would be fun if there were three or four people.
I don't know what to do with more than three people.
I don't know what to do.
I don't know what to do.
I don't know what to do.
I don't know what to do.
If the system doesn't recognize it,
it will increase.
I think the number of relationships will increase.
That's why the conservative Japanese government
is thinking too much and not moving.
I see.
I think it's a never-ending story.
I agree that it should be equal.
But it's going to destroy the imagination of the south.
I saw an article the other day.
It was someone's story.
There was someone who married a rice cooker.
Right?
He married a rice cooker.
Yes, he married a rice cooker.
What is marriage?
It's ridiculous.
I think someone who marries a rice cooker will definitely be born.
I think it's ideal to marry a rice cooker.
It's an animal.
42:00
In the world of delusion,
I think a dog or a cat will come up first.
Why can't a dog or a cat get married?
Let's say the earth was recognized in 2300.
Why can't a dog or a cat get married?
It's like a reptile marriage.
Or a fish marriage.
It's going to change the concept of marriage.
That's right.
I think there will be a group of people who want to marry all living things.
That's right.
Or aliens.
If you're involved with aliens,
you'll definitely have an alien marriage.
What?
But if you want to get married, what should you do?
Yes, I was rejected by one person.
Foolish.
I think the law should be something other than someone getting hurt or sad.
The law is difficult.
It's difficult.
I thought it would be simple if I made it a tax.
But the law is not an obligation to love.
You can decide the law with love.
But we can't define love.
People who know love are good politicians.
In the modern world.
That's right.
What should I do?
First of all, you should know.
There is such a thing.
That's right.
But since the Japanese law and government are working super slow like a turtle,
I think things are definitely changing.
Little by little.
So there is an alienation marriage.
There are half-human and half-alien children.
Their way of being is being discussed when they are dead.
That's possible.
Maybe when they are alive.
That's crazy.
They can go to space, right?
They can get married to aliens.
They can get married to animals.
I think so.
It's not marriage.
It's like a friend marriage.
I know.
Do you know?
Do you know why you want to marry your friend?
Yes, I do.
Marriage is not a marriage of love.
It's a marriage of life.
It's like a marriage of buying a glass of sake.
45:00
You're gonna take care of me for life.
That's what marriage is.
That's interesting.
You can't cut it off.
So it's a win-win situation.
That's true.
If you insist, the person who listens to your voice will be born.
If the number of people who are impressed by your voice increases little by little,
it will change your way of thinking.
It's the same with LGBT people.
It's a fact.
It's a polyamory.
It's a mind-blowing idea.
When I first heard it.
But for some people,
I'm sure there are people who are relieved that they can do that.
The first time you know you're good at it,
is when you meet the idea from somebody or some media.
You can't create everything by yourself.
What are you talking about?
It's a story that makes your head soft.
That's why.
Everything is fine.
All you need is...
Love.
Don't be embarrassed there.
It's funny.
It's hard.
You have to work hard.
You have to get used to it.
It's just...
It's just a law.
It's important to have a conversation with all people you care.
Even if you can't keep up with the law,
you have to do what you want to do while you're alive.
To make it true.
I don't really think about the law.
I don't think about myself.
The law is...
I don't know.
Don't speed up.
Don't steal things.
The law is the law.
But when it comes to marriage,
marriage,
and love,
I feel close to it.
Yeah.
Sometimes I think it's amazing that there's a law.
A lot of things are saved.
If there wasn't, it would be anarchy.
It would be a mess in the government.
I think it's amazing that there's a law.
But marriage is always so messy.
In my...
Like, from my perspective,
I don't think love marriage and the marriage system
48:04
are linked in the first place.
It's different.
It's only for the benefit of the country.
When something happens, there's a guarantee.
Yeah.
There's a guarantee over there.
If a person starts to do something, there's a tax on it.
And as a couple,
there's the advantage of being protected by the law.
If we could get married,
if we could,
I want to.
I want to.
So,
it's just a game.
In the government.
It's not about
how you are,
and whether you're protected by the law or not.
I don't think you should get hurt.
But,
you'll get hurt.
I think.
But if you look at the news,
in Japan,
it's really difficult to do what I want.
But,
maybe in other countries,
in other groups,
might have the same opinion.
Yeah.
They already have the law we want.
There's a possibility.
If you look at a lot of things,
you'll be more positive.
You'll be more sensitive to the news.
If you have a wider perspective,
you won't be so depressed.
That's right.
I understand.
See the picture.
See the bigger picture.
From Mars.
If you look at the bigger picture,
this looks so small.
Yeah.
And,
if you want to change the law or the society,
I think you should go for a vote.
Yeah.
I agree with you,
but if you want to have a 100% opinion,
you have to go for a vote.
That's what I think.
Yeah.
About the election,
in other countries,
it's like a whole entertainment.
And marketing things.
And it's a good timing to present yourself,
what you support.
But since Japanese society don't accept individual opinions,
For example, on SNS,
if you post something,
people will think,
51:01
you're posting something.
It's not good.
Whatever you want.
Let's do whatever we want.
Yeah.
It's not good.
It's their problem.
It's about their satisfaction.
Mind your business.
Yeah.
It's about what you want to do.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I didn't think this would be such a big story
until I went to Alien Nation.
Yeah.
And it says,
it's advantage and advantage about
We talked about other things like
What else?
Our most futuristic marriage system.
Animals or something.
Or in the future, it's gonna be alien.
Monopoly.
Polyamory.
Polyamory.
We talked about that.
So, the important thing is
The law is just a law.
Yeah.
So you should focus on yourself.
And you should search other information
and see bigger pictures.
And do what we can do.
As of the day.
Yeah.
It's true.
It's gonna get better.
Yeah.
Focus on the moment.
That's all for today.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Bye-bye.
Bye.
