This trio of articles from The Japan Times cover some of the interesting history of names in Japan.
What's in a (Japanese) name? This article touches on the naming conventions of the pre-modern era as well as the taboo/'neuroses' surrounding personal names in that era.
The long road to identity This article details the origins of some of the most common names in Japan, such as 'Tanaka' (in the rice field). Of the three articles, I recommend this one the most.
Fake names were to the fore in many a rise from humblest to highest This article describes how people in Japan, in particular Toyotomi Hideyoshi, changed their names in a reflection of their rising status.
Tangentially related, I found this editorial by activist and naturalized Amerian-born Japanese citizen Debito Arudou about the case of the international custody dispute between a divorced Japanese woman and American man. The article's brief summary:
After a couple divorced in America, ex-wife Noriko Savoie absconded with their children to Japan. Then ex-husband Christopher, who had been awarded custody in the U.S., came to Japan to take the kids back. On Sept. 28 he tried to get the children into the American Consulate in Fukuoka, but was barred entry and arrested by the Japanese police for kidnapping.
But what really shocked me about the article was the fact that in Japan, even for a divorced Japanese couple, there is no way to have joint custody of children. A child can only legally be connected to one family, so when the family splits into two, they are no longer connected to one parent by law... Many children in divorced families lose contact with one parent (usually dad) until adulthood, or forever.
I guess if the father wants to lose all contact with their children, it works out for them. But in cases where the non-custodial parent would want to be a part of their children's lives, there is no legal recourse for them if the custodial parent refuses to capitulate.
No comments:
Post a Comment