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Originally Posted by risingstar3110
Another thing. I heard that the Imperial family does not have last name, and have only started to adopt last name when they stepped away from Imperial family. So does it mean if someone don't have last name, it's likely that they are a member of the Sumeragi? Furthermore, Do branch family members have last name? If they do, then wouldn't it be kinda....amusing if the whole family just sit down one day, and decide what they would be known from now on in public?
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There is no overarching surname, but you could say that the titles of members (Example: Prince Akishino, brother of the Crown Prince) serve a sort of surname function, with his daughters and son being considered of Akishino. Concerning members who are no longer of the Imperial family: Normally it was the Tenno who would bestow a surname. In modern times, however, the title was used as the surname (example: the head of Fushimi-no-miya , Fushimi-no-miya Hiroaki, changed his name to Fushimi Hiroaki in 1947).
Now, the case of the Sumeragis was that their surname was bestowed upon them by the Tenno. Given the various times the surname was given out, it's hard to track down how all of them are related in what way to the original Imperial family. It's pretty much that the existence of the surname itself is the only remaining evidence for most people, unless there are more concrete records.