In the traditional family, the male was the head of the household with absolute authority over others and the father filled the role of patriarch. Usually three or four generations lived together. The oldest son had a right to inherit almost all of property of family. A bride who traditionally held the lowest status in the family, might be divorced if she failed to please her in-laws or produce a child. In the contemporary family, the tradition of extended families living together is receding. Family life has changed since WWII. The trend is toward smaller nuclear family units as in the U.S., not generational extended ones, though these are still fairly common, especially in the rural areas. Families are smaller. The birth rate in Japan has declined sharply. Typically, mother, father, one or two children in an urban apartment, father commutes by train to city, wife cares for children and house. Doing something wrong brings guilt or shame on family not just individual. In exchange for conformity to family comes kindness and even spoiling is directed toward the children, especially male sons. (Japanese moral culture and changing family By Ronnie Littlejohn).
Before WWII, the status of Japanese women was very low. The Constitution at the time did not guarantee the equality of sexes, and women had neither the right to vote or be elected. Under the Civil Code, women were regarded as incompetent. Their property and inheritance rights, and their right to exercise paternal authority were restricted. After the war, the new Constitution guaranteed the equality of men and women under the law. The Civil Code was revised, and a range of domestic laws was passed. Today, Women are freer to pursue education, jobs, and hobbies, and may even initiate divorce, but this has placed added pressure on Japanese women since many of the values mentioned are still in place. Since the man is usually seen as the primary breadwinner of the family, and the woman as the primary caregiver, traditional patterns in the family require women to put their husbands before their jobs.
