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Defining the Heisei Era: The fragmentation of the family in Japan

National / History | Defining the Heisei Era Jan 26, 2019

Defining the Heisei Era: The fragmentation of the family in Japan

by Rob Gilhooly

Hatsune is Akihiko Kondo's dream wife. Petite and animated, she always greets him with a cheery smile when he returns home from a hard day at work and selects his favorite TV channel. She even sings him a song and charges his phone. She isn't really ...

Japan's rigid koseki system keeps it all in the family

National / Media | MEDIA MIX Aug 4, 2018

Japan's rigid koseki system keeps it all in the family

by Philip Brasor

Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Mio Sugita is being criticized for comments she made about how LGBT individuals should not receive government “support” because, biologically speaking, they can’t have children and are thus “unproductive” as members of society. Although the media have covered her remarks ...

Parents of 13 in California torture case ordered to stand trial

World / Crime & Legal Jun 22, 2018

Parents of 13 in California torture case ordered to stand trial

A judge on Thursday ordered a married couple to stand trial on 49 counts of torture, false imprisonment and abuse over the treatment of 13 siblings who were found imprisoned and starving in their suburban California home, prosecutors said. David and Louise Turpin were bound ...

Japanese court rules provision allowing only men to file lawsuits denying legal fatherhood is constitutional

National / Crime & Legal Nov 30, 2017

Japanese court rules provision allowing only men to file lawsuits denying legal fatherhood is constitutional

A court on Wednesday found constitutional a legal provision that allows only men and not women to file a lawsuit denying the legal fatherhood of a child, dismissing a claim filed against the state by a family for damages related to the accuracy of ...

Number of middle-aged, first-time fathers on the rise in Japan

National / Social Issues Sep 25, 2017

Number of middle-aged, first-time fathers on the rise in Japan

by Sawako Obara

More men in Japan are waiting until middle age to start fatherhood but find that their greater experience can help offset some of the worries.

Sawako Ariyoshi's 'The River Ki' explores characters who swim against life's current

Books / Reviews | ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES Mar 4, 2017

Sawako Ariyoshi's 'The River Ki' explores characters who swim against life's current

by Iain Maloney

When we read Japanese history it's easy to forget that the revolutionary changes that washed through the country from the 19th century into the 20th all took place within a single human life span. The River Ki, by Sawako Ariyoshi.256 pages KODANSHA, Fiction. Sawako Ariyoshi takes this ...

National / Crime & Legal Dec 17, 2015

U.S. gender experts slam Supreme Court ruling backing same surname for spouses

U.S. gender equality experts on Wednesday criticized a ruling by Japan's Supreme Court upholding a law requiring spouses to use the same surname, describing the law as outdated. "Having the same name as her husband is not necessarily against her self-interest, but it should be ...

Experts say surname verdict reflects top court's gender, age makeup

National / Crime & Legal Dec 17, 2015

Experts say surname verdict reflects top court's gender, age makeup

Questions have been raised as to whether a better gender balance among the top court's 15 justices might have resulted in a different outcome.

Plaintiffs express shock at bad precedent set by court's decision on shared surnames

National / Crime & Legal Dec 16, 2015

Plaintiffs express shock at bad precedent set by court's decision on shared surnames

by Tomoko Otake

Plaintiffs contesting family laws that require spouses to choose a single surname expressed shock and anger at Wednesday's Supreme Court ruling, saying it sets a bad precedent and will force more women to suffer the misery of having to change their name upon marriage. In ...

Japan's top court upholds same-name rule for married couples, overturns remarriage moratorium for women

National / Crime & Legal Dec 16, 2015

Japan's top court upholds same-name rule for married couples, overturns remarriage moratorium for women

by Tomohiro Osaki

The Supreme Court confirms the constitutionality of a controversial law requiring married couples to use the same surname in official matters.

Ex-leader of Hikaru Genji not father of Kitajima's son

National / Crime & Legal Nov 20, 2015

Ex-leader of Hikaru Genji not father of Kitajima's son

by Magdalena Osumi

The Tokyo Family Court has ruled in favor of actor and former pop idol Mikio Osawa, who had denied any biological connection with the son he allegedly fathered with actress and ex-wife Mai Kitajima. The case went to court last month after Osawa, former leader ...

Japan should re-examine the idea of marriage to help spur a baby boom

National / Media | MEDIA MIX Jul 11, 2015

Japan should re-examine the idea of marriage to help spur a baby boom

by Philip Brasor

After decades of a national conversation about the need for more babies, there is still disagreement as to what sort of measures Japan should take in order to increase its birthrate. The obstacles are financial, social and physiological, and before they can be addressed ...

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