The structure of families in Japanese
History of the structure of families in Japan
A great number of family forms have existed historically in Japan, from the matrilocal customs of the Heian.
With the promulgation of the Domestic Relations and Inheritance Law in 1898, the Japanese government institutionalized more rigid family controls than most people had known in the feudal period.
Individuals were registered in an official family 戸籍(koseki)[registry].
In the early twentieth century, each family was required to conform to the 家(ie)[home] system, with a multigenerational household under the legal authority of a household head.
Authority and responsibility for all members of the ie lay legally with the household head.
After World War II, the allied occupation forces established a new family ideology based on equal rights for women, equal inheritance by all children, and free choice of spouse and career.
From the late 1960s, most marriages in Japan have been based on the mutual attraction of the couple and not the arrangement by the parents お見合い(omiai).
From 1970 to 1983, the proportion of three-generation households fell from 19% to 15% of all households, while two generation households consisting of a couple and their unmarried children increased only slightly, from 41% to 42% of all households.
Various family life-styles exist side by side in contemporary Japan.
Learn structure of families in kanji
This kanji symbol is "Family".
The first kanji "ka" is a meaning "Home/House".
And, the other kanji is meaning "Family and kin".
The Japanese word "家族(kazoku)" broadly translates into the English word "family".
*I described "Name generally used in Japan" in the following tables.
The orange color name is most generally used in Japan.
father |
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|---|---|---|
| Meaning | father |
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| Kanji | 父 | |
| Hiragana | ちち | |
| Katakana | チチ | |
| Pronunciation | chichi |
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| Name generally used in Japan | お父さん(otoo-san) パパ(papa)父さん(too-san) お父ちゃん(otooo-chan) 父ちゃん(too-chan) |
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| Free kanji tattoo designs | Father for kanji symbol.pdf | |
Mother |
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|---|---|---|
| Meaning | mother |
 |
| Kanji | 母 | |
| Hiragana | はは | |
| Katakana | ハハ | |
| Pronunciation | haha |
|
| Name generally used in Japan | お母さん(okaa-san) ママ(mama) 母さん(kaa-san) お母ちゃん(okaa-chan) 母ちゃん(kaa-chan) |
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| Free kanji tattoo designs | Mother for kanji symbol.pdf | |
Elder brother |
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|---|---|---|
| Meaning | elder brother |
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| Kanji | 兄 | |
| Hiragana | あに | |
| Katakana | アニ | |
| Pronunciation | ani |
|
| Name generally used in Japan | お兄さん(onii-san) お兄ちゃん(onii-chan) 兄さん(nii-san) 兄ちゃん(nii-chan) 兄貴(aniki) |
|
| Annotation | <About the expression "兄貴(elder brother)">: The meaning of "兄貴(aniki)" is "Elder brother". But, it is used also for "An elder brother, someone who is considered one's senior". Katakana "アニキ(ainiki)" is used in that case a lot. |
|
| Free kanji tattoo designs | Japanese tattoo symbols for elder brother.pdf | |
Younger brother |
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|---|---|---|
| Meaning | younger brother |
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| Kanji | 弟 | |
| Hiragana | おとうと | |
| Katakana | オトウト | |
| Pronunciation | otouto/otōto |
|
| Name generally used in Japan | That's person's first name or nickname is used. | |
| Annotation | Younger brother doesn't have a special name. |
|
<About pronunciation "弟(otouto)"> In Japanese, there are a lot of words that should change "u" into "o" and pronounce.The word "otouto" is written with the spelling of "otouto" in sentences, but it's pronunciation "otooto" in the conversation. |
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| Free kanji tattoo designs | Japanese tattoo symbols for younger brother.pdf | |
Elder sister |
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|---|---|---|
| Meaning | elder sister |
 |
| Kanji | 姉 | |
| Hiragana | あね | |
| Katakana | アネ | |
| Pronunciation | ane |
|
| Name generally used in Japan | お姉さん(onee-san) お姉ちゃん(onee-chan) 姉さん(nee-san) 姉ちゃん(nee-chan) 姉貴(aneki) |
|
| Free kanji tattoo designs | Japanese kanji symbol for elder sister.pdf | |
Younger sister |
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|---|---|---|
| Meaning | younger sister |
 |
| Kanji | 妹 | |
| Hiragana | いもうと | |
| Katakana | イモウト | |
| Pronunciation | imouto/imōto |
|
| Name generally used in Japan | That's person's first name or nickname is used. | |
| Annotation | <About pronunciation "妹(imouto)"> In Japanese, there are a lot of words that should change "u" into "o" and pronounce.The word "imouto" is written with the spelling of "imouto" in sentences, but it's pronunciation "imooto" in the conversation. |
|
Younger sister doesn't have a special name. |
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| Free kanji tattoo designs | Japanese kanji symbol for younger sister.pdf | |
Grandfather |
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|---|---|---|
| Meaning | grandfather |
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| Kanji | 祖父 | |
| Hiragana | そふ | |
| Katakana | ソフ | |
| Pronunciation | sofu |
|
| Name generally used in Japan | おじいさん(ojii-san) おじいちゃん(ojii-chan) じいちゃん(jii-chan) じいじ(jii-ji) じいさん(jii-san) |
|
| Free kanji tattoo designs | Japanese tattoo symbols for grandfather.pdf | |
Grandmother |
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|---|---|---|
| Meaning | grandmother |
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| Kanji | 祖母 | |
| Hiragana | そぼ | |
| Katakana | ソボ | |
| Pronunciation | sobo |
|
| Name generally used in Japan | おばあさん(obaa-san) おばあちゃん(obaa-chan) ばあちゃん(baa-chan) ばあば(baa-ba) ばあさん(baa-san) |
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| Free kanji tattoo designs | Japanese tattoo symbols of grandmother.pdf | |
Great-grandfather |
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|---|---|---|
| Meaning | great-grandfather |
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| Kanji | 曾祖父 | |
| Hiragana | そうそふ | |
| Katakana | ソウソフ | |
| Pronunciation | sousofu/sōsofu |
|
| Idiomatic expression | ひいおじいさん(hii-ojii-san) ひいおじいちゃん(hii-ojii-chan) ひいじいちゃん(hii-jii-chan) ひいじいさん(hii-jii-san) |
|
Great-grandmother |
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|---|---|---|
| Meaning | ｇreat-grandmother |
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| Kanji | 曾祖母 | |
| Hiragana | そうそぼ | |
| Katakana | ソウソボ | |
| Pronunciation | sousobo/sōsobo |
|
| Name generally used in Japan | ひいおばあさん(hii-obaa-san) ひいおばあちゃん(hii-obaa chan) ひいばあちゃん(hii-baa-chan) ひいばあさん(hii-baa-san) |
|
Uncle |
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|---|---|---|
| Meaning | uncle |
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| Kanji | 伯父/叔父 | |
| Hiragana | おじ | |
| Katakana | オジ | |
| Pronunciation | oji |
|
| Name generally used in Japan | おじさん(oji-san): A little boys and a little girls uses "Oji-chan". |
|
| Annotation | 伯父(oji) is used for your parents' elder brother. |
|
Aunt |
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|---|---|---|
| Meaning | aunt |   |
| Kanji | 伯母/叔母 | |
| Hiragana | おば | |
| Katakana | オバ | |
| Pronunciation | oba |
|
| Name generally used in Japan | おばさん(oba-san): A little boys and a little girls uses "Oba-chan". |
|
| Annotation | 伯母(oba) is used for your parents' elder sisters. 叔母(oba) is used for your parents' younger sisters. In addition, both of them are the same pronunciations. |
|
Cousin |
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|---|---|---|
| Meaning | cousin |   |
| Kanji | 従兄/従兄弟/従姉/ 従妹/従姉妹/従弟/ 従兄妹/従姉弟 |
|
| Hiragana | いとこ | |
| Katakana | イトコ | |
| Pronunciation | itoko |
|
| Name generally used in Japan | Cousin doesn't have a special name. Each first name, nickname, and the family name are used. |
|
| Annotation | Strictly speaking, there are a lot of kanji with meaning "Cousin" in Japanese. For instance, if your cousin is a man, you should use kanji of "従兄弟(itoko)[cousin]" for him, if your cousin is a woman, you should use kanji of "従姉妹(itoko)[cousin]" for her. In addition, if your cousin is a man who is senior to you, you should use kanji of "従兄(itoko)[cousin]" for him, if your cousin is a man who is younger than you, you should use kanji of "従弟(itoko)[cousin]" for him. Therefore, we usually use for cousin the hiragana "いとこ(itoko)" Moreover, katakana "ITOKO" is used in folklore and anthropology. |
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Hararie
Tokyo Time
hi miss Rie.. i downloaded your kanji symbol for "love"..thank you very much for the share.. but my problem is I cannot open it in corel or photoshop, it always ask for a password.. Is it ok with you if you give me the password? please.. Just email me the password if it is ok with you miss Rie.. this is my email address "kayveen_00@yahoo.com" Thank you very much in advance miss Rie.. =)