Why the Japanese could all be named Sato by 2531

Will all Japanese people have the same last name? At least that’s what predicts a study by economist Hiroshi Yoshida, professor of economics at the Center for Research on Aging, published in the daily Asahi Shimbun.

This study was carried out as part of a campaign to obtain reform of the Japanese Civil Code, which has a unique law in the world. The Japanese legislator requires married couples to have the same last name.

According to figures put forward in the columns of the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, 500,000 couples unite each year, causing the number of surnames to drop accordingly. A trend coupled with demographic decline which could lead the Japanese to all have the name “Sato” within 500 years.

Between 1868 and 1912, the land of the rising sun had 13,000 different surnames. A figure that continues to fall. “As the birth rate continues to decline, it becomes difficult to maintain the family name,” says Hiroshi Yoshida.

“This situation would harm the dignity of every person”

Hiroshi Yoshida’s observations are based on the examination of name changes linked to marriages, divorces and deaths, based on available data on surnames in the archipelago. According to the study, “Sato” is already the most common surname in the archipelago.

It alone represents 1.5% of the Japanese population. Between 2022 and 2023, their number increased by 0.83%. If growth continues at this same rate, half of the Japanese could have this name in 2446. By 2531, the reign of the name “Sato” would be complete with 100% of the population bearing this name.

Women are the first victims

Through this study, Hiroshi Yoshida also seeks to highlight the inequalities between men and women. At the time of marriage, 95% of women give up their name to adopt that of their husband. A trend which, according to the study, highlights gender inequality in the archipelago.

In Japan, the right to keep one’s last name once married is starting to come to the forefront. On the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8, six organizations presented a petition to the Prime Minister demanding reform of the marriage law. For the moment, the government has authorized the inclusion of the maiden name on the identity papers of married women.