Prohibition of infidelity, or extramarital sex, is a fundamental of the contemporary marital system. So, who commits infidelity? There are few empirical studies investigating this question in Japan. In this study, the determinants of infidelity in Japan have been tested through the framework of opportunity and marital relationship. The results show that labour time, intimacy of marital relationship, and the number of children are not associated with infidelity. Level of education is relevant for both males and females, with higher education reducing infidelity. Income and difference of income between males and females is relevant for males. Husbands are more likely to commit infidelity when their income is higher, or when their income is lower than that of their wife.

This paper explains the purpose of this special issue and gives an overview of the 30-year history of the Japanese Journal of Family Sociology. A summary of the history of the Japanese Society of Family Sociology and research trends has been carried out at almost every ten-year milestone. However, concerning the Japanese Journal of Family Sociology, such summaries have never been undertaken. The reason is that the peer review system for submitted manuscripts, which is at the heart of the journal, is a closed door. However, the trend in Japanese academic societies is now moving in the direction of disclosing certain information about peer review systems. In response to these trends, this special issue was set up in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Japanese Journal of Family Sociology. Its history of 30 years can be divided into early, mid-term, and later periods, each spanning about ten years. In the early stage, the foundation of the editing and reviewing system was established, while in the mid-term period, the complicated and more extensive editing work that occurred due to publication twice a year was efficiently organized. After that, in the progression towards internationalization and information disclosure, these editing systems were basically inherited. Based on this special issue, I hope that interest in recording the history of the journal will increase.

In this essay, the author, as the original chief editor of the Japanese Journal of Family Sociology, first published in 1989, briefly outlines the early publishing process and the academic significance of the journal. In the early stages, the editorial board members struggled with decision on many points concerning the design and construction of an academic journal. Almost one decade was needed before the new academic journal took root. Additionally, the author proposes several points for consideration by the current editorial board.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the reform of the editorial system of the Japanese Journal of Family Sociology in the 2000s, focusing on the following three points: 1) organization and management of the editorial committee; 2) improvement of the form of submitted manuscripts; and 3) improvement of the quality of the peer-review system and submitted manuscripts.

Since the 1990s, there has been an increase in applicants for social science at the graduate level and the acquisition of doctoral degrees. Against this background, the editorial committee had difficulties relating to the submission of papers and the peer-review system. In order to deal with these problems, we worked on organizational reform and prepared guidelines for editing and for the peer-review system. Through these efforts, the editorial committee reconfirmed the importance of “educational guidance” in both the peer-review system and the editorial work of this journal.

The main purpose of this paper is to indicate the direction of the editorial committee of the Japanese Journal of Family Sociology from 2010 to the present. The fact that the journal started to accept manuscripts written in English in 2015 is particularly worthy of notice. An other task ongoing for some time is the promotion of the submission of original articles by young researchers. Editorial guidance for young researchers through the peer review system has been also important. To find a way to simultaneously maintain high quality in papers and provide educational guidance, the editorial committee has been persistent in improving the peer review system. The next concern for the JJFS will be how to increase the diversity of its articles to account for the growing variation in approaches within the field of family sociology.