Entrant Company
Dentsu Digital Inc.
Entry Type
Public Service
Japan is the only country with a law requiring married couples to share the same surname, with 95% of women adopting their husband's name. Changing the law is challenging, especially with 90% of lawmakers being men. Asuniwa, a leading gender equality organization, partnered with Tohoku Universityβs professor to project the law's future impact, concluding that by 2531, "Sato" would be the only surviving surname in Japan. To spark conversation, 40 entitiesβcompanies, artists, manga characters, and athletesβrenamed themselves "SATO." Armed with this data, Asuniwa shared the findings with UN Women, leading to a recommendation for Japan to revise the law within two years. A candidate advocating for change was then elected prime minister.