TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The No. 2 figure in Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party said Wednesday that its lawmakers should reach a consensus if related bills to allow married couples to use different surnames are put to a vote in the parliament.

LDP Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama said in an interview with Kyodo News that party members should be "cautious" in assessing whether the current requirement forcing married Japanese couples to have the same surname should be changed.

Regarding the issue, which has divided the conservative LDP, Moriyama said, "We should consider the history and shape of our country," while voicing eagerness to take further measures enabling greater use of maiden names by women.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba expressed support for introducing a selective surname system for married couples before taking office in October, but he has recently softened his language, apparently mindful of some members within the ruling party.

Conservative LDP lawmakers, who uphold traditional family values such as the role of women in childbirth and child-rearing, have fundamentally opposed the selective surname system, same-sex marriage and the promotion of rights for sexual minorities.