Third Proposal—The Family Registry System as a Structural Root of Japan's Declining Birthrate—
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This proposal critically examines the historical foundations of Japan’s family system, koseki (family registry), and surname system, revealing how they continue to undermine individual dignity and contribute to the decline in birthrates. These systems have long functioned as state apparatuses for population management, subordinating individuals to the structure of the “household” and imposing disadvantages on women through compulsory surname changes and patriarchal hierarchies. The proposal calls for a fundamental shift: dismantling household-based frameworks, recognizing caregiving relationships as the basic unit of society, adopting the principle of newly created surnames upon marriage, and transitioning from rigid koseki registries to flexible resident-based records of care contracts. Institutions should not serve the convenience of the state, but the happiness of its citizens. Returning to the core principle of democracy, this proposal advocates a 180-degree transformation toward systems that enable individuals to live freely and pursue happiness.
Author: Akutagawa, Rikanosuke
Language: English
Subfield: Demography
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7083813971
FWCI:
Cites:
Cited by:
Related to: