Opposition from the dominant Liberal Democratic Party will keep a bill that would allow married couples to use separate surnames from being submitted to the Diet this session, Justice Minister Mayumi Moriyama said Tuesday.
"Unfortunately, I have to admit it is impossible," Moriyama said, citing time restrictions. She said the government will give up on the bill for the ongoing extraordinary session, which runs through Friday.
Revising the Civil Code, which currently prohibits married couples from using separate surnames, has been under debate for some time, and similar bills submitted to the Diet never gained passage.
Moriyama said that "active movements" in the LDP's Judicial Affairs Division on the surname issue in the past month have generated momentum for the revision.
She expressed hope that the government will submit the bill to the next ordinary Diet session, scheduled to be convened next month.