The city of Akashi in Hyogo Prefecture has become the first to cease recording whether newborns are "illegitimate" on its birth registration forms.
Akashi announced on this week that it has dispensed with a field on the birth registration forms that traditionally recorded whether or not the parents were married at the time their child was born. A city spokesperson said forms submitted prior to the changeover will continue to contain the information, but those submitted after Oct 1 will no longer display the field, Kobe Shimbun reported.
The move comes after the announcement from the first petty bench of the Supreme Court last month that it "cannot say it is necessary" to record whether or not children are born out of wedlock.
Akashi Mayor Fusaho Izumi told the press, "We took on board the Supreme Court's announcement and made the decision that was right for our city."
© Japan Today
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Maria
A very good start though - well done Akashi!
LiveInTokyo
Very true, but you have to start somewhere and Akashi has taken a great step in the right direction.
Jimizo
First or not, Akashi deserves praise for this. Labeling children as 'illegitimate' is pretty nasty. It's nobody else's business whether the parents are married or not.
JTDanMan
Yeah, "illegitimate" is not a nice thing to say. Even if you think children should be the product of a marriage, it is quite, well, unfair and disgusting to blame a child for the so-called mistake of its parents.
toshiko
Ililegitimate : It used to be recorded as Shisei-ji in the child's Koseki (family register). Thereafter, the child is labeled as Shisei-jii. Disadvantage in applying for Senor HS and Colleges,later employment. Registration for a child whose father's name is registered as the baby;s father, but parents are no married, Japanese title for the child is Sho-shi. ( usually a mistress's baby ) ( mekake no ko). both have disadvantage growing up. If you ask any office that ahndle birth certiifcate tramslating illegitimate and legitimate, they wouldn't know what that means. if you want to investigate, ask Shisei-ji and Sho-shi. If a baby is not a Shisei-ji or a Sho-shi, no mentioning on a child;s record.
ControlFreak
I just cannot fathom how anyone could be such a pin-head as to think it ever mattered in a way that necessitated such stigma.
Of course I think its better that a child have both mother and father present (if they are not criminal, violent or crazy) and parents committing should be encouraged to help ensure they are both present. I sort of think that simple sentiment got perverted down the road and twisted into social condemnation....like a lot of things people condemn others for.
Things being what they are I think its good to drop the married status box on the registration.
kaykay
Great move!!! I hope this would be the first of many.
kimuzukashiiiii
Nice move, but it wont stop the social stigma.
Disillusioned
You and me both! Many women actually refuse to put the father's name on the birth registry in an attempt to give the father no rights to the child. It follows very closely with the stigma towards adopted children. A child born out of wedlock or adopted is considered second class and will never be successful. Japan is full of petty urban myths like this. You could even tie in the tattoo stigma as well. I have a word for it: Japathetiquette!
toshiko
If a child is not shiseiji or sho-shi, nothing is mentioned. JT stated "The city of Akashi in Hyogo Prefecture has become the first to cease recording whether newborns are “illegitimate” on its birth registration forms. " IIt correctly reported about Shisei-ji and Sho-shi labels since Meiji-Ishin created laws. in entire Japan
IparryU
Nice move in the right direction!!!!
Frungy
I'm afraid that whoever wrote this article is mistaken. There hasn't been any record of legitimate vs illegitimate on the birth certificates in the area of Japan where I live for at least 5 years. I dragged them out and checked. I'm pretty sure there are plenty of other areas where it isn't required either.
Moderator: The story is accurate.
toshiko
Probably entire Japanese child birth registration offices will follow Akashi sooner or later.