夫婦[ふうふ]別姓[べっせい]が認[みと]められるか!?
Will married couples be permitted to have different surnames?
<Vocab hint>
夫婦[ふうふ]：married couples 別姓[べっせい]：different surname 姓[せい]：surname 認[みと]める：to permit 夫[おっと]：husband 妻[つま]：wife 選[えら]ぶ：to choose 大臣[だいじん]：ministers
現在[げんざい]、日本[にほん]では結婚[けっこん]したら夫[おっと]または妻[つま]の姓[せい]を1つ選[えら]ばなければいけません。つまり鈴木[すずき]太郎[たろう]さん(夫[おっと])と、田中[たなか]花子[はなこ]さん(妻[つま])が結婚[けっこん]したら、
1) 夫[おっと]が名前[なまえ]をかえて田中太郎･田中花子という夫婦[ふうふ]になるか、または、
2) 妻[つま]が名前[なまえ]をかえて鈴木太郎･鈴木花子という夫婦[ふうふ]にならなければいけません。
実際[じっさい]、90％以上[いじょう]のカップルが妻[つま]が名前[なまえ]をかえています。
アジアの国々[くにぐに]では別姓[べっせい]を使[つか]うことが普通[ふつう]です。日本[にほん]だけ認[みと]められていません。しかし! 新政権[しんせいけん] (shin seiken means a new governmental cabinet) が先日[せんじつ]誕生[たんじょう]して、新[あたら]しい大臣[だいじん]が選[えら]ばれました。この夫婦[ふうふ]別姓[べっせい]問題[もんだい]に関連[かんれん]する(kanrennsuru means related to) 2人の大臣[だいじん]が、来年[らいねん]にも夫婦[ふうふ]別姓[べっせい]を認[みと]める法律[ほうりつ] (hooritsu means law)を作[つく]りたいと言[い]いました。多分[たぶん]、この2人の大臣[だいじん]が2人とも女性[じょせい]だからでしょうね!
In Japan, married couples have to choose one surname. For example, when Mr Taro Suzuki and Miss Hanako Tanaka get married, they have only two choices:
1) the newlywed husband changes his surname and they will become Mr & Mrs TANAKA or
2) the newlywed wife changes her surname and they will become Mr & Mrs SUZUKI.
As a matter of fact, over 90% wives have now chosen to give up their surname.
It is not uncommon in other Asian countries to have different surnames between married couples. We are not permitted to do so in Japan. However, two recently appointed ministers who are related to this issue expressed their intension of legislation that permits married couples to have different surnames in Japan in the near future. I guess this is probably because these two are female!
By the way, the Prime Minister (male) does not seem so enthusiastic on this…