KYODO NEWS - Sep 13, 2019 - 17:55 | Lifestyle, All, Japan

Almost 70 percent of married women in Japan believe that same-sex marriage should be legalized in the country, a government survey of around 6,000 married women showed Friday.

Among those in their 30s or younger, roughly 90 percent supported the legalization of same-sex marriage, according to the survey conducted last year by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research.

The survey has been conducted every five years since 1993 to collect data on Japanese households, including the distribution of chores. Questions on same-sex couples were added for the first time last year.

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The percentage of women who said it was acceptable to have a different last name than their husband was up 9 points from five years before to 50.5 percent, making up half of all respondents for the first time.

Married Japanese couples are required by law to use the same surname. Although the law does not say which of the partners must give up their surname on marriage, it is customary for a wife to take her husband's surname.

"Attitudes toward family are changing," said an official in charge at the institute, which is affiliated with the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.

The survey reflects the responses of 6,142 married women who were sent questionnaires by the institute and excludes those divorced or widowed.