Marriage, Divorce, and Birth and Stillbirth by Legitimacy in Japan for the Period between 1899 and 1919

Abstract

The purpose of this study is re-evaluation of population dynamics, especially of marriage, divorce, and birth and stillbirth by legitimacy, in Japan before the first population Census. Formerly we reported results of similar analysis for the period between 1872 and 1898. In this study, we have investigated the successive period from 1899 to 1919 which is the preceding year of the first Census. The marriage rates over this period were estimated to be around 50 to 60 per 1, 000 unmarried women over age 15. These figures are very low in comparison with those of the period after 1920. The official statistics of population before 1920 was based on "the Koseki (family registration system)" in contrary to the census after 1920. This difference may contribute the lower marriage rates for the period of this study. The divorce rates were estimated to be 6.0 to 8.4 per 1, 000 married women and showed a clear decrease since 1899. The illegitimate birth was found to be very frequent in the study period. It was estimated that one out of fifty unmarried women beared one child per annum. But the ratio of illegitimate births to all birth had showed a decline since 1912. The sex ratio of illegitimate birth was found to be lower than that of legitimate birth. The illegitimate stillbirth rates were around two and a half times higher than those of the legimate. It is considered that the enactment of the Civil Law in 1898 had contributable influence on these trends of marriage, divorce and the legitimacy of child.