Ie (Japanese Family System) - Family Registration and Status

Family Registration and Status

The ie is a patriarchal household and is considered to consist of grandparents, their son, his wife and their children. Although 98 percent of households elect a male as the head of the household, the wife may assume position of household head if she is making an income and the husband is not. In a “traditional” Japanese household, the eldest son inherits the household property as well as the responsibility of taking care of his parents as they age. The eldest son is also expected to live with his parents when they grow older. Today all households are obligated to record their information in the Koseki, the family registration system, which records any and all changes in family composition and identity. The koseki also requires a household to appoint one person as the head of the house. The heads of the koseki are typically male. Once the head is chosen, other members of the house must change their surnames to that of the head’s surname. Even with the death of a koseki, the family will keep the name as long as they are listed in the system as part of his koseki. One to two generations can be included in a koseki, a couple and their children. If a household consists of grandparents and children, then the grandparents must start to have their own koseki. The koseki system can discourage women from divorcing their husbands. When a couple is officially divorced, any baby born 300 days within that time period belongs to the koseki of the husband. This system has been noted to be particularly strict in that it excludes any families who do not fit into the patrilineal structure encouraged by the koseki. Another important aspect of the ie is the role of dead ancestors. Dead ancestors may be separated into two categories the "generation dead" and the "juvenile dead." "Generation dead" are husband and wife pairs who held the status of household heads during their living years. These ancestors are representative of the history of the ie and provide living members of the ie means of relating to their history and ancestors. They play a pivotal role in the daily lives of most Japanese households in that they must be given a great deal of respect and are commemorated through Buddhist rites. In contrast, if an ancestor does not qualify as a "generation dead" then they are considered "juvenile dead" and are destined to be forgotten.