Jessica Murrell

May 22, 2008

Decline in the structure and role of the Japanese family: From Pre-Meiji to Modern Japan

Family is generally considered by many to be the most fundamental unit of society; in all

parts of the world, but especially in Japan. In Pre-modern Japan, family is fundamental. The

individual doesn’t stand alone and one must know their position and place in society. Anything

that one did was not just a personal matter. It not only affected your whole family, but also

shamed the village. In Japan, family last name comes first, then given name. This signifies the

importance of the Japanese hierarchical family system. The system goes: Nation—State or

Province—Village—Family—You. The decline of the Japanese family structure is due to

Japan’s own rigid system of family hierarchy and western modernization.

There is a long history of religious and cultural beliefs in Pre-modern Japan. Confucian beliefs

were introduced during the Nara Period and are based on patriarchy, ancestry, and birthright. In

the lives of the farmer class, this meant that upon death the farm land was assigned to the next

head of the family, usually the eldest son. This practice affected the moral and social codes of

the people. The hierarchy of this family system reflected the rules and belief systems of this

society and, males were far more superior to females at this time. Families who didn’t have a

male heir adopted the 2nd or 3rd sons of another family to be their head of the home.

In the Tale of Genji, family was more symbolic rather than for love. People married for political

reasons and found love elsewhere (Foster). There was rarely a “staying faithful” to a wife. As we

can see in Tale of Genji, Genji was married and had children, but he also had other women and

found pleasure elsewhere. The same theme can be seen in Musui’s Story. Koichi also had a wife
and children, but frequented the pleasure quarters, ran up debt, and didn’t really care for his wife

or rather she didn’t play a big role in his life besides producing an heir. A strong love was not

there. He also admitted an affair to his wife, but when he learn that she would be attempting

suicide due to her “failure as a wife,” he gained more compassion for her and saw the error of his

ways.

In Chushingura, there were more choices of “real love” unions. Such as when Okaru agreed to be

sold off to prostitution for the family’s sake but still longed for Kampei and also when Konami

was in love with Rikiya. Age and social class affected relationships and if the family didn’t find

your significant other “fit” for the family, you were forbidden to marry with them. This is a

factor of family hierarchy and most likely caused resentment within families. “Family control”

characterizes relationships within the family. With an increase in competition and an increase in

population, survival depended upon power.

By the 1700s there was more family planning and the population leveled off. People were

limiting the size of the family. This was due to the economy growing, materialistic views, and

wanting to sustain wealth. Soon after, social changes strain the Tokugawa system. Japan had

financial problems and there was also the erosion of class distinctions. By the 1800s, Tokugawa

Japan was socially and economically unstable. As a result, Japan re-opened the country and took

on Western ideas for modernization so that they would not be taken over by western powers.

They sent Japanese abroad to learn about other countries military, political, and educational

systems. Many of the social changes and changing of roles in the family that took place at this

time affected the impressions and social attitudes of the people. The introduction of Western

ideas to Japan came with the Meiji Restoration and its influence increased progressively

throughout the years. Western individualistic thought is the complete opposite of the way the
Japanese mind works. The Japanese has always shared a sense of national identity and has a

“Group” vs. “Individual” outlook. The mindset has always been “think before you act” and to

think to yourself “what will others think if I do this?” Rarely will one do something different.

The educational system also doesn’t promote creativity among students. While a sense of

community has always played a part in the understanding of identity of the Japanese people, they

conflict with the typical independent nature of Western thought.

The roles most affected by this development in the Japanese family were the mother and father.

After the removal of the feudal system and economic restoration in Japan, Men and women took

on different roles. The responsibility of the male head of the household came to be his economic

contribution to his intermediate family. His obligation was to bring home the paycheck,

generally giving all of the money (his entire paycheck) to the woman of the house, while she

gives him an allowance. Mothers were responsible for maintaining the family’s finances and

there was generally only one bread winner- the father. When Japan’s economic bubble popped in

the 1980s, Japan entered a economic decline. Rather than give up any possessions, or service,

many mothers took on part-time jobs and full-time employment outside the home.

At this point, women entered the male work and forced the gender lines to become

blurred. Careers became an option for the women. Given choices, many have elected to abandon

the ideas and roles of being a “traditional housewife” for independency.

There is a growing unease over changes in the family structure and the deteriorating social

environment.Women in a typical Japanese “nuclear family,” generally live “lonely and alienated

lives.” Their husbands are absorbed in their work and rarely attend to the family. Their parents
live far away and have few opportunities to have contact with other families living in the housing

developments that have replaced a once sociable neighborhood.” (Nathan, John 63). This was

also true for Pre-modern era Japan, as seen in Genji and Musui’s Story.

In most modern Japanese families, the husband and wife do not socialize as a couple. Most

Japanese people value their families, but fear that family ties are weakening due to modern social

changes. Traditionally, a Japanese family always had generations of families living under the

same roof. Due to westernization and modernization, there are more people living alone, and

wanting to be independent from the family. Other reasons for the weakening of family ties

include increase in juvenile crime and divorce.

Japan has gone through many important changes throughout history; the introduction of a new

political system, different views of the emperor, the rise and fall of their economy, and social

reform. What if people would have been able to marry whoever they wanted? There wouldn’t be

so many “broken homes.” Even in modern times, there are still “arranged marriages” to get

ahead. How should families be tied back together? I think that Japanese needs to define its

identity. Japanese has always looked to other countries for ideas of culture and language and has

never fully evolved on its own. The downfall of Japan’s cohesive structure family model was

due to its hierarchical structure and influences of modernization, materialistic views, and social

role changes.
 Sources and Works Cited

Beasley, W.G. The Japanese Experience: A Short History of Japan. Berkeley University of

California Press, 2000.

Foster, Robert. "Prehistory and Shinto." Frost 103, Berea College. 11 Feb. 2008.

—. "Heian Japan." Frost 103, Berea College. 18 Feb. 2008.

—. "Heian Japan and Genji II." Frost 103, Berea College. 25 Feb. 2008.

—. "Late Tokugawa." Frost 103, Berea College. 7 Apr. 2008.

—. "Restoration." Frost 103, Berea College. 9 Apr. 2008.

—. "Political Development in the Meiji." Frost 103, Berea College. 14 Apr. 2008.

—. "Modernization." Frost 103, Berea College. 16 Apr. 2008.

Izumo, Takeda, Miyoshi Shoraku and Namiki Senryu. Chushingura: The Treasury of Loyal
Retainers. Trans. Donald Keene. New York: Columbia University Press, 1971.

Kokichi, Katsu. Musui's Story: The Autobiography of a Tokugawa Samurai. Trans. Teruko
Craig. Tuscon: The University of Arizona Press, 1988.

Nathan, John. Japan Unbound: A Volatile Nation’s Quest for Pride and Purpose. Houghton
Mifflin Company, 2004.