Just over two-fifths (40.7%) of Japan’s households have someone aged 65 or over. An emphasis on family care means that the number of residential care homes for elderly is limited. These demographic changes of an ageing population, high life expectancy and low fertility rate means that families tend to have more elderly relatives to care for than children. 3 Japan’s fertility rate continues to drop, with couples on average having 1.36 children as of 2019, down from 1.42 in 2018. 2 On the other hand, children aged 0-14 years old only accounted for 12.1% of the population, which is the lowest level on record. 1 It also has one of the world’s highest life expectancies at 87.5 years for females and 81.4 years for males. Japan has a rapidly ageing population, with approximately 1 in every 4 people aged 65 years and older. Massive demographic transformations have significantly changed traditional family structures over the last couple of decades. People tend to be concerned with which koseki they are registered in and how they are entered, as this can have effects in other aspects of life. Up to two generations (usually a couple and their children) can be included in a koseki, which means that when people marry, they usually keep a separate koseki from their parents. As a result, people tend to be more acutely aware of their family history, hierarchy and genealogy than is common in many other cultures. The koseki requires all households to report the details of their family members such as birthplace, date of birth, relocation of the family to another municipality, marriages, divorces, acknowledgement of paternity of children, adoptions and deaths. This registry regards the household to be the basic unit of society, rather than the individual. The cultural importance of the family unit is reflected in the ‘koseki’, Japan’s official family registry. Traditionally, the patriarch would maintain authority and responsibility for all family members, with homes usually located near the extended family of the husband. The traditional household structure is known as ‘ ie’, which refers to a multi-generational household with a patriarchal head. Japanese family structures have been influenced by Confucian ideas of filial piety and defined hierarchical social relationships over the centuries. An individual’s identity, reputation, obligations and responsibilities are deeply connected to their family. Family (kazoku) is a foundational part of Japanese society.
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