Types of Families in Japan

Japanese Geography Button
Early Japan Button
Nara and Heian Period Button
Kamakura Period Button
Muromachi Period Button
Azuchi-Momoyama Period Button
Edo Period Button
Meiji Period Button
Taisho Period Button
Early Showa and World War II Button
Postwar Period Button
Dictionary of Terms
Virtual Japan Webquest Button
Sources Button
The Japanese family is one that has made many changes since World War II. Below are the different types of families that have been found in Japan since World War II.
TYPE OF FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS
Traditional Family
  • gender-based roles
  • patriarchal head and hierarchy by birth
  • entire family lives in one household (extended family included)
  • family business is passed from father to oldest son; younger brothers can branch out
  • daughters married into other families.
  • marriage was a connection between households
  • the mother trained both daughters and daughters-in-law in their duties.
  • investigations are done into families and individuals before a marriage takes place
  • Popular before WOrld War II and immediately afterwards.
The Modern Family
  • one person per room living quarters.
  • men worked outside the home
  • women cared for children and parents.
  • children are not given private rooms until junior high or high school age when they need to study for exams.
  • privacy is not really available.
  • more popular in the late 1940s to 1950s
The "Salaryman" Family
  • the husband works outside the home and often outside the immediate neighborhood. The work week is 6 days a week and the husband is rarely home.
  • The father did not socialize outside of work until he retired. Often the husband and wife did not have much in common.
  • the wife oversees the house and the children.
  • Sometimes the wife did work at home.
  • wives became "education mothers" (kyoiku mama) through helping their children (particularly sons prepare for important entrance exams
  • popular in the 1950s and 1960s
The "New Family"
  • marriage focused more on love than before often the spouses wanted to remain friends
  • husband is more involved in household affairs traditionally under the wife's control.
  • family activities grow more popular
  • women are more educated and get involved in community activities, but retain their traditional roles of caring for children, husband, and parents-in-law.
  • popular in the 1970s and on.

 

Facts about the Modern Japanese Family
  • average age to get married is on the rise(29 for men and 25 for women)
  • education increased for men and women
  • more women work outside the home before marriage
  • education gap between husband and wife is decreasing; making the wife more educated
  • almost 40% of Japanese women feel that if a woman can support herself she does not need to get married
  • Japanese women have the longest life span in the world today (81 years)
  • caring for the elderly is still the oldest son's responsibility.
  • daughters are now encouraged to have a skill that they can use to earn money from home. For example computer programming.
  • love is not considered an acceptable sole reason to be married.
  • the traditional practice of investigations of people and families are still practiced.
  • divorce rate is about one quarter of the US rate.

 

Click
Mrs. O'Donnell's Main Page Button

to return to Mrs. O'Donnell's Home Page.


Maintained according to the Lakeland Central School District Web Page Policies and Guidelines.
Clicking on the above links will direct you to site(s) outside the Lakeland Central School District and the Lakeland High School server. The Lakeland Central School District is not responsible for contents on external sites and servers, nor does the district endorse the sponsors or advertising on these sites. This site was designed and maintained by Maureen O'Donnell, a teacher at Lakeland High School.

July 2005 Created - | Tuesday, August 2, 2005 Last Revised