SAME NAME MATCH

Japan is the only country in the world that legally requires married couples to share a surname. To challenge this issue, Asuniwa, a leading gender equality organization, asked a simple question: If couples must share a surname, what if we matched people who already shared the same surname? Partnering with one of Japan's largest matchmaking companies, we launched SAME NAME MATCH—a real matchmaking service for people with the same surname. What began as an unusual dating idea became a national conversation about names and gender equality. The campaign reached 62 countries, generated coverage across 275 media outlets, earned over 80 million impressions, and helped bring renewed attention to the right to choose one's surname in Japan.

Japan is the only country in the world that legally requires married couples to share a surname, and in 94% of marriages, women change their names. Although most Japanese support an optional separate-surname system, the issue has remained politically deadlocked for decades. We realized that another awareness campaign would simply repeat the same debate. Our strategic insight was simple: if couples must share a surname, the only way to avoid changing names is to marry someone who already has the same surname. By turning this paradoxical idea into a real service, we transformed an abstract political issue into a social conversation anyone could join. Rather than asking people to support a policy, we invited them to experience the contradiction of the law for themselves.

Asuniwa, a leading gender equality organization, partnered with one of Japan's largest matchmaking companies and launched SAME NAME MATCH. We created a matchmaking agency, an online dating service, and matchmaking parties exclusively for people with the same surname. Participants could meet potential partners who shared their family name and explore a marriage option that required no name change. To expand the conversation, 37 companies whose names included common Japanese surnames joined the movement, providing support and visibility. Through media outreach and public events, the service became a nationwide talking point. Through the platform, we created a new path to marriage for people affected by Japan's mandatory surname law while encouraging public engagement with the issue.

What started as an unusual matchmaking service became a national debate about names. The campaign: • Reached audiences in 62 countries. • Generated coverage across 275 media outlets. • Earned more than 80 million impressions. • Major international and domestic media including The Guardian covered the initiative. • Achieved all exposure with zero media spending. • Mobilized 37 partner companies around the issue. • Engaged 30 lawmakers across five political parties. • In May 2026, the Prime Minister withdrew a bill opposing surname choice after marriage. SAME NAME MATCH helped bring renewed public attention to the right to choose one's surname and gender equality in Japan.