High court upholds one-surname law

Japan's Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a law that married couples must have a common surname, a defeat for campaigners who have blasted the 19th-century statute as sexist and archaic.

The top court's Grand Bench - its highest ruling body - said the law did not violate the Constitution, broadcaster NHK and other Japanese media reported.

The ruling is likely to satisfy conservatives who call it essential to maintaining the country's family structure.