For Singaporean in the thread who married a Japanese, others with the same predicament, please feel free to comment too.
In the case if I am marrying my Japanese girlfriend, I know that regarding family name can a hassle.
I do not mind changing to my girlfriend’s last name for Japan’s family registry purpose but I would like to keep my last name (believe it is legal in Singapore to have separate last name) in Singapore.
If I do change my last name in Japan, I know that processes like bank update, residence card and other stuffs need to be done and I am ok with it. However, could I keep my legal last name in Singapore?
If that is so, my Singapore passport and residence card will have different last name, and is it ok? Will there be issue if I were to renew my visa or change to a spouse visa?
I know things could be easier if my girlfriend took my last name or vice versa, but as you see, my last name is 林 (リム) which is also a common last name in Japan, Hayashi. is it possible for her to be リム 真奈美 (fake name) and not be registered as 林 真奈美?
It would be weird that my spouse would then have 林 which in the case, most people will call her by Hayashi and not リム。anyone with a similar situation as me could advise what did you guys decided in the end?
lastly, if we have a child, the child can hold dual citizenship till a 22 in Singapore and 20 for Japan. if I took my wife’s last name, he/she will be registered as 田中 すし (fake name). but could he/she be registered as 林 すし in Singapore?
wouldn’t want to talk about if my child is a male and needs National service obligations…. that will open another can of worms which I will leave it to other sub-reddits.
2 comments
Since you are not a Japanese citizen your family name will need to match your nationalities paperwork. Japan isn’t going to change anything unless you have changed and updated your countries paperwork. So if you want to take her last name you’ll need to change your name in Singapore first then bring the paperwork showing the legal change (usually a passport) to Japan to start the long painful process of getting everything changed over.
As you mentioned another option is keep your name and use a legal alias. Always an option.
That being said there is nothing that requires your spouse, being Japanese, to have the same last name as you, a non-Japanese. The problem of only 1 last name per family is a direct consequence of the koseki system. Since you won’t have a koseki and will be a “footnote” on hers your last name and her last name do not have to be the same. It is one of those cases where being a foreigner really does work in your favor in Japan.
Alternatively my family name is now a “Japanese” name – it’s on a koseki with 4 other people. Admittedly a bastardized katakana version but it’s there. It has raised some eyebrows/questions but never been a problem (admittedly it’s short and easy – someone with a long family name might have problems with character limits and such).
I hope you’re not actually going to name your kid すし lol
Btw does 寿司 have a different reading in Chinese?