Koseki
Overview
A is a Japanese family registry
. Japanese law
requires all Japanese households (ie
) to report births, acknowledgements of paternity
, adoption
s, disruptions of adoptions
, deaths, marriages and divorces of Japanese citizens to their local authority, which compiles such records encompassing all Japanese citizens within their jurisdiction. Marriages, adoptions and acknowledgements of paternity become legally effective only when such events are recorded in the koseki. Births and deaths became legally effective as they happen, but such events must be filed by family members.
A typical koseki has one page for the household's parents and their first two children: additional children are recorded on additional pages.
Family register
A family register is a registry used in many countries to track information of a genealogical or legal interest.Often, official recognition of certain events or status may only be granted when such event or status is registered in the...
. Japanese law
Japanese law
-Historical Developments:Pre-Modern History The early law of Japan was heavily influenced by Chinese law. Little is known about Japanese law prior to the seventh century, when the Ritsuryō was developed and codified. Before Chinese characters were transplanted and adopted by the Japanese, the...
requires all Japanese households (ie
Ie (Japanese family system)
The , or "household", was the basic unit of Japanese law until the end of World War II: most civil and criminal matters were considered to involve families rather than individuals . The ie is considered to consist of grandparents, their son and his wife and their children , although even in 1920,...
) to report births, acknowledgements of paternity
Paternity (law)
In law, paternity is the legal acknowledgment of the parental relationship between a man and a child usually based on several factors.At common law, a child born to the wife during a marriage is the husband's child under the "presumption of legitimacy", and the husband is assigned complete rights,...
, adoption
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
s, disruptions of adoptions
Disruption (adoption)
Disruption is the term most commonly used for ending an adoption. While technically an adoption is disrupted only when it is abandoned by the adopting parent or parents before it is legally completed , in practice the term is used for all adoptions that are ended Disruption is the term most...
, deaths, marriages and divorces of Japanese citizens to their local authority, which compiles such records encompassing all Japanese citizens within their jurisdiction. Marriages, adoptions and acknowledgements of paternity become legally effective only when such events are recorded in the koseki. Births and deaths became legally effective as they happen, but such events must be filed by family members.
A typical koseki has one page for the household's parents and their first two children: additional children are recorded on additional pages.
