List of Figures.- List of Tables.- Preface.- Chapter 1: Introduction: A New View on Changes in Japanese Families.- 1.1: Two Theoretical Frameworks for the Study of Family Issues in Japan.- 1.2: A Dual Structural Model of the Japanese Family-The Modified Stem.

- Family.- 1.3: Regional Variations by Prefecture: Haihan Chiken (Dissolution of Domains and Establishment of Prefectures).-1.4: Data and Methods.- 1.4.1: Data.

- 1.4.2: Analytic Strategy.- 1.5: Family Issues to Be Discussed.- References.- Chapter 2: Demographic Changes in Japan.- 2.

1: Introduction.- 2.2: Changes in the Japanese Household Structure -- the Nuclear Family.- 2.3: Changes in the Three-Generation Family.- 2.4: Family Size: Changes and Projections for the Average Number of Persons in a Household by Prefecture.- 2.

5: Demographics of the Japanese Elderly.- 2.5.1: The Graying of Japan -- Population Aging and Fertility Decline.- 2.5.2: Declining Birth Rates and Total Fertility Rates (TFR).- 2.

5.3: The Baby Boomer Generations.- 2.5.4: The Longevity Revolution: Rising Life Expectancy.- 2.5.5: Aging of the Elderly Population.

- 2.5.6: Marital Status of Japanese Elderly.- 2.5.7: Japanese Elderly and Family Relations.- 2.6: Living Arrangements of the Elderly.

- 2.6.1: With Family.- 2.6.2: Problems Associated with Coresidency Living Arrangements.- 2.7: Regional Variations of the Japanese Elderly.

- 2.8: Conclusion.- References.- Chapter: 3: History of Courtship and Marriage in Japan.- 3.1: Historical Perspective.- 3.1.

1: Primitive Times of Jyomon and Yayoi: BC 12,000-AD 240.- 3.1.2: Yamato (Tumulus) Era: from the 3rd to the 6th Century.- 3.1.3: Asuka - Early Heian: 593-1000.- 3.

1.4: Mid-End Heian Period.- 3.1.5: End Heian Period: The end of 11th to the end of the 12th century.- 3.1.6: Kamakura Shogunate and Nanboku-cho: 1192-1333-1336.

- 3.1.7: Muromachi Shogunate - Edo Shogunate.- 3.1.8: Meiji - Taisho - Showa -Present (Heisei): Yoriai-kon.- 3.2: Attitudes toward Marriage and Mate Selection.

- 3.2.1: Miai-kekkon and Ren-ai-kekkon.- 3.2.2: High Ages at First Marriage and the Delayed Marriage.- 3.2.

3: Life-time Singlehood.- 3.2 4: Live Births to Unmarried Mothers.- 3.2.5: De facto Partnerships: Cohabitation.- 3.2.

6: Roles and Functions of the Nakoudo: the traditional vs. the new.- 3.3: The Current Situation.- 3.3.1: Commercial Matchmaking/Dating Agency.- 3.

3.2: Matchmaking by Local Communities and/or Municipal Offices.- 3.3.3: Machi-kon, the Town Based Marriage-meeting Events.- 3.4: Conclusion: Kon-katsu.- References.

- Chapter 4: International Marriage in Japan: A Strategy to Maintain Rural Farm Households.- 4.1: Introduction.- 4.1.1: Two Opposing Views on International Marriage.- 4.1.

2: International Marriage as a New Way to Maintain Rural Farm.- Households.- 4.2: International Marriage in Japan.- 4.2.1: Historical Development.- 4.

2.2: Demographic Features of International Marriages: Foreign Brides versus Foreign Grooms.- 4.3: Regional Variations of International Marriages by Prefecture.- 4.3.1: International Marriages: Percentage of Total.- 4.

3.2: Japanese Wife/Foreign Husband: Percentage of Total.- 4.3.3: Japanese Husband/Foreign Wife: Percentage of Total.- 4.4: Yamagata Prefecture-Pioneering Prefecture for International Marriage in Japan Today.- 4.

4.1: Foreign Residents in Yamagata Prefecture.- 4.4.2: Nationalities.- 4.4.3: Correlation between Number of Foreigners and Household Type by Municipality.

- 4.4.4: A Brief History of Foreign Brides in Yamagata Prefecture.- 4.4.5: Asahi-machi.- 4.4.

6: Tozawa-mura.- 4.5: Three Reports on Research into Family Relations in Yamagata Prefecture.- 4.5.1: "Survey Report on the Attitudes toward Families in Yamagata Prefecture" (Association for International Relations in Yamagata: AIRY, 2006).- 4.5.

2: "Report on the Questionnaire Survey Research on Foreigners Residing in Yamagata Prefecture" (Association for International Relations in Yamagata: AIRY, 2011).- 4.5.3:Yamagata Prefecture Bureau of International Economic Exchange (2014).- 4.6: Conclusion.- References.- Chapter 5: Changing Divorce in Japan: With Special Attention to Regional Variations.

- 5.1: Introduction.- 5.2: A Brief History of Divorce in Japan.- 5.2.1: The First Period: 1883-1897.- 5.

2.2: The Second Period: 1898-1899.- 5.2.3: An Overview of Japanese Divorce: 1960 to 2013.- 5.3: Three Conspicuous Characteristics of Divorce in Japan.- 5.

3.1: Duration of Marriage before Divorce.- 5.3.2: Child Custody in Divorce.- 5.3.3: Divorce by Mutual Agreement.

- 5.4: Regional Variations in Divorce.- 5.5: Some Cultural Explanation of Divorce in Japan.- 5.5.1: Prefectures with Low Divorce Rates Today: Niigata and Shimane.- 5.

5.2: Prefectures with High Divorce Rates Today: Hokkaido, Okinawa, Osaka, Fukuoka, Miyazaki, and Kochi.- 5.6: Conclusion.- References.- 6: Late-Life Divorce in Japan Revisited: Effects of the Old-age Pension Division Scheme.- 6.1: Introduction.

- 6.2: Recent Changes in Divorce in Japan.- 6.3: Duration of Marriage Prior to Divorce.- 6.4: Late-Life Divorce and the Year 2007 Issue.- 6.5: Baby Boomers and the Duration of Marriage at the Time of Divorce.

- 6.6: Higher Divorce Rate among Younger Couples over Veteran Couples.- 6.7: Reasons for Late-Life Divorce.- 6.7.1: Divorce by Mutual Agreement or by Judicial Procedure.- 6.

7.2: Reasons for Divorce.- 6.7.3: Motives for Late-Life Divorce.- 6.8: Conclusion.- References.

- Chapter 7: Japanese Elders Living Apart: Policy Suggestions.- 7.1: Introduction.- 7.2: Living Arrangements of the Elderly: Living Alone Households.- 7.2.1: Family Size.

- 7.2.2: Living Alone Households by Sex and by Age-Group.- 7.2.3: Proportions of the Household Type in which the Elderly Sixty-Five and Over Reside by Prefecture.- 7.2.

4: Elderly-Headed Households.- 7.2.5: Living Alone Households of Japanese Elderly by Sex.- 7.2.6: Elderly Living Alone Households of the Total Elderly-Headed Households.- 7.

2.7: Elderly 75 and Over-Headed Households.- 7.3: Yamagata and Kagoshima Prefectures.- 7.3.1: Yamagata Prefecture.- 7.

3.2: Kagoshima Prefecture.- 7.3.3: Yamagata: High Rate of Coresidency and Low Rates of Elderly One and Two-Person Households.- 7.3.4: Kagoshima: High Rate of Elderly Living Alone Households.

- 7.4: Successful Aging of Japanese Elders Living Alone.- 7.4.1: Measurements of Successful Aging.- 7.4.2: Five Major Factors.

- 7.4.3: Elders Living Alone: Yamagata Prefecture.- 7.4.4: Elders Living Alone: Kagoshima Prefecture.- 7.4.

5: Elders Living Alone: Tokyo Metropolitan Area: Minato Ward.- 7.5: Policy Recommendations for the Elderly Living Alone.- 7.6: Conclusion.- References.- Chapter 8: Conclusion - Toward Globalization of Japanese Families.- 8.

1: Toward Globalization through the Field of Family Sociology.- 8.2: Summary of Major Findings, Implications and Limitations of the Book.- 8.3: Relating the Dual Structural Model to the Family Issues Discussed.- 8.4: The Future of Japanese Families.- 8.

4.1: Japanese Families in the Era of Population Decline.- 8.4.2: Japanese Families with Working Mothers.- 8.4.3: Japanese Families and Global Cooperation.

- 8.5: Japan as a Global Partner.- References.- Index.