This book provides insightful sociological analyses of Japanese
demography and families, paying attention not only to national average
data, but also to regional variations and community level analyses. In
analyzing Japanese family issues such as demographic changes, courtship
and marriage, international marriage, divorce, late-life divorce, and
the elderly living alone, this book emphasizes the significance of two
theoretical frameworks: the dual structure and regional variations of
the community network in Japan.
By emphasizing the extensive cultural diversity from one region to
another, this book represents a paradigm shift from former studies of
Japanese families, which relied mostly on national average data. The
method of analysis adopted in the study is qualitative, with a
historical perspective. The book is thus an invitation to more in-depth,
qualitative dialogue in the field of family sociology in Japan.
This book will be of great interest not only to Asian scholars, but also
to other specialists in comparative family studies around the world.