HeyA new study suggests that Japanese citizens will have the same last name within 500 years unless spouses are allowed to use separate surnames.
The study, conducted by Hiroshi Yoshida, a professor of economics at Tohoku University, and cited by The Guardian, says that if Japan continues to insist that couples choose one surname, all Japanese people will be known as “Sato-san” until the year 2531.
“If everyone becomes Sato, we may have to call them by our first names or by our numbers,” the professor said.
Sato is already at the top of the list of Japanese surnames, accounting for 1.5% of the total population, according to a March 2023 study, with Suzuki in second place.
The study published in March only hit social media on Monday, April 1, leading many netizens to believe it was a typical lie of the day.
A Satos nation “would not only be uncomfortable, but would also undermine individual dignity,” he continued, adding that the trend would also lead to the loss of family and regional heritage.
According to Yoshida's calculations, the proportion of Japanese people named Sato increased by 1.0083-fold from 2022 to 2023. Assuming the rate remains constant and there is no change in the surname law, about half of the Japanese population will have this name in 2446, increasing to 100% in 2531.
Couples in Japan have to choose the surname they want to share when they marry, but in 95% of cases, it is the woman who changes her name.
Although the government has allowed married names to appear alongside married couples' names on passports, driver's licenses, and residence certificates, Japan remains the only country that requires spouses to use the same name.
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