Despite the fact that over half of the Japanese population are women, until recently the social conditions of Japanese women have been underrepresented and largely unexamined in the literature of Japanese studies. The rise of feminism outside and inside Japan, however, has sensitized observers to gender stratification in Japanese society and directed their attention to a wide range of questions. In what ways are Japanese women subjected to a Japan-specific system of gender control? What kinds of gender barriers exist in Japan's labor market? How is female sexuality regulated in Japan? How are women disadvantaged in the Japanese family structure? This chapter examines these issues as the most fundamental problems of stratification, arguably more pivotal than other forms of inequality in contemporary Japan. Specifically, we will examine the patriarchal family registration system, which is embedded in gender relations and the family system in Japan, women's employment situation in the labor market, the issues of sexuality and reproduction, marriage and divorce, and various types of family life.

The Family Registration System and Ie Ideology

Beneath Japan's gender relations and family system lies an elaborate system of registration which penetrates into the life of every Japanese and controls it in a fundamental way. The koseki (family registration) system is the cornerstone of the scheme, representing the usually veiled ura aspect of Japanese family structure. The basic unit of koseki is not an individual, but a household.