JAPANESE DIVORCES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9470, 12 June 1909, Page 6

JAPANESE DIVORCES.

MARRIAGE BONDS LIQHTLIT BROKEN. A significant aspect of Japanese society since coming under the influence of Occidental civilisation is. its increasing respect for the marriage bond. In olden times the*' average Japanese citizen did not appear to regard the relations between husband and wife as In any way specially sacred, or even equally binding on both sides to the compact. Wives were lightly taken and as* lightly pnt rway as convenience served, till the proportion of divorceto marriage reached a percentagesufficiently enormous to shock the* convictions of Christendom.

In recent Jyeara, however (writer the Standard’s Tokio correspondent), the number of divorces has diminished to a degree, that bids fair in time to reverse former conditions. Though from an Occidental point of view the present; percentage of divorce to marriage is alarmingly high, going on as it doer at the rate of 200 a day the year round, it represents only 19 percent, of the total number of yearly marriages, compared with the 34 per cent, that obtained a decade ago. Thne far inference is solely from official statistics; but from tbhr sonrce alone it is exceedingly difficult to arrive at an accurate estimate of actual conditions. A very con - siderable proportion of failures to respect the marriage compact does not eome under the notice of tfaa authorities. In Japan the dissolution of marriage is snch an ordinary every day event that not even the. newspapers deem it worthy of record. Indeed, one might reside (or years in- , the country without ever hearing of a divorce, unless, as is sometimes; the case, it should lead to something:, more unusual.

LAW OOUKTS IGNORED. The Empire makes no provision' for divorce courts as such, most of the separations being effected by what is regarded as mutual agreement. Tbie is so much more private and inexpensive that an appeal to law is considered less advantageous. Thus, out of 447,820 covering a period of seven years, only 1927 received any legal sanction, and' of these as many as 1250 were applied for by women. ‘ It will be readily seen that the* vast majority ojf divorces in Japanare privately negotiated by men supposedly with the consent of the wife,, bat as a matter of fact, often in'spiteof her. Beoanse, for the most part, the Japanese husband appears to be< the aggressor in dissolving the contract, it wonld be a great mistake toassume that the underlying fault is on the part of the wife. In too many oases the trouble is due to tfc« fickleness of her lord, or to his wilful evasion of domestic responsibility. Japanese sociologists are wont to attribute the principal cause of divorce to conjugal 'infelicity, consequent upon the clash of old and new ideas in regard to the equality of the* sexes; the modern Japanese wife ia said to incline too much to Western notions of woman’s position, and to be more assertive of the rights accorded her by the new legal code. The fact that at least 70 per cent, of all Japanese divorces take place within the first five years of married life would seen to point towards, mutual incompatibility, and confirm the opinions of those apprehensive of; the present social changes. WESTERN INFLUENCES.

On tbe other hand, if, as the* authorities admit, divorce is rapidly on the decline, and domestic lifer generally la a moral improvement o'j conditions obtaining under tbe old regime, the main cause ofjdivoroe must be ascribed to evils other than those resulting from the influx of Occidental deals. Chief among those* evils most be included the recent tendency to Inxnry and extravagance* of living incidental to the increased material progress of the nation, with: a multitude of temptations to pleasure of a questionable character. In rural sections, however, where divorce is found to be not less frequent than in cities', the cause is believed to be of much the same nature as in former times, when ignorance: and low standards of living steadily contributed to domestic unhappiness. In Japan no ceremony, civil or religions is regarded as essential to seal the marital contract. Any oonple may choose to live together aa man and wife without molestation of civil law or social compunction, and they are, free to relinquish ail ties at pleasure or convenience. It legal sanction is desired registration must be effected at tbe police office; and should the wife prove incompatible or otherwise burdensome, relief may be bad by striking her name from the register as easily as it was placed: there. True, her consent is required, bnt, if one may judge from statistics, this is forthcoming as a matter of course upon the demand of the husband.