Keiko Chiba opposes death penalty, favors dual surnames
The AFP reports on some of the views held by the woman taking over the Justice ministry:
One of them, Keiko Chiba, 61, is the new justice minister, who opposes the death penalty and wants to encourage national debate on ending capital punishment.
She is a supporter of London-based human rights group Amnesty International, which released a damning report last week that said inhumane prison conditions in Japan were driving some death row inmates insane.
Chiba also wants to push an issue dear to the hearts of many Japanese women — allowing married couples to have different surnames, a break with the current practice of forcing wives to assume their husbands’ family names.
Chiba has said that she will carry out her role with prudence and discretion, which means she’ll probably be slow when it comes to signing off on executions.
Back in 2008, Yukio Hatoyama’s pro-death penalty brother was given the unpleasant nickname “grim reaper” because of his willingness to sign so many execution orders while serving as Justice minister in the Abe cabinet. I guess the Hatoyama family is a bit divided over the death penalty.
[via JapanSoc]
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A correction to the AFP article: women aren’t forced to take their husband’s family name. Rather, couples are required to have the same last name. In maybe 10% of cases, the husband takes the wife’s family name.
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I was just going to make that exact same point. Also, if a Japanese woman marries a non-Japanese, she can keep her maiden name – there is nothing forcing someone to change their name on their own family register.
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As mine has. I figured that would be easiest in Japan, though it has sometimes caused people to ask if we are in fact married. We were told she could change it any time during the first six months, and after that it would go through the normal channels for such things.
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Very cool lady. She’s so awesome.
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My wife’s passport simply has both names in.
It was renewed in the Embassy in London, which may be more flexible about the situation.
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This election just might have saved Asahara Shoko’s life. He will be my neighbor in Kosuge forever
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Yeah, well, you can’t have everything I guess….
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Bobby Ologun’s official last name is Konda 近田 (his wifes last name).
Making his true Japanese name 近田ボビ (Bobby Konda)
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Doesn’t he have a kid name “Minium”?
Or was it “Ment”?
Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here all weekend…
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*groan* （ノ∀`）
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