In Japan, cousin marriage is common, and this behavior is not legally restricted. Even the Emperor of Japan may marry a close relative.
- CosDream News
- May 14, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 5, 2024
With the continuous progress of technology and society, everyone has a wider range of choices when it comes to choosing a partner and building a family.
After all, the future life belongs to oneself, and under normal circumstances, no one would choose cousin marriage.
People have come to realize that cousin marriage can lead to serious defects in offspring, and their physical fitness is noticeably different from that of ordinary people.
Therefore, many countries now explicitly prohibit cousin marriage.
Offspring of cousin marriages often suffer from serious defects, and as countries enact laws to prohibit this, people are gradually recognizing the severity of this phenomenon.
Many people hold a critical attitude towards cousin marriage, believing it is irresponsible towards the next generation.
However, in Japan, cousin marriage is not uncommon, and it is not even prohibited by law, even the Emperor of Japan has examples of cousin marriage.
So why does Japan have this distorted phenomenon?
In Japan, sibling marriage has a long history, dating back to ancient times.
According to Japanese mythology, the first emperor of Japan was born from the Japanese sun goddess and her sister.
In ancient Japan, many noble families practiced cousin marriage, including sibling marriage, primarily to consolidate family status and lineage.
During the Edo period, cousin marriage within the shogunate families was also commonplace, and sibling marriages were even more common.
Many people do not understand why this peculiar phenomenon exists in Japan.
According to experts' surveys, in ancient times, due to Japan's long and narrow geography and sparse population, intra-tribal marriages were commonplace.
This behavior is seen as abnormal in other countries but is common in Japan.
On the other hand, Japan's unique culture also influences people's behavior.
Many businesses and shops are family-run, and Japanese people trust their families more and do not like to interact with outsiders.
For Japanese people, family members can understand and support each other, and this sense of family ties is very strong.
Therefore, many Japanese people tend to look for spouses within the family, even choosing sibling marriage.
In Japan, sibling marriage and cousin marriage are common occurrences.
Although Japanese law stipulates that direct relatives cannot marry, there are no specific restrictions on sibling marriage.
However, many modernized Japanese people consider this behavior to be against morals and ethics.
Nevertheless, many people still choose cousin marriage, and even sibling marriage.
Even the Emperor of Japan may do so, and this phenomenon is particularly common in the royal family.
The purity of the imperial bloodline has been maintained since ancient times.
Therefore, to maintain the purity of the bloodline, each emperor will choose a member of the royal family as a spouse, even including a younger sister or a close relative.
For the Japanese people, the emperor is a sacred symbol and a role model for learning.
Therefore, the emperor's behavior has a profound impact on society, and some people will imitate the emperor's behavior, leading to the more widespread occurrence of cousin marriage.
However, the consequences of cousin marriage are very serious and may lead to physical defects and health problems in offspring.
Despite this, some Japanese people believe that cousin marriage can maintain a pure bloodline without considering its impact on offspring.
Although there are still many people in Japan who practice cousin marriage, there are also many people who do not because they believe it is a cruel act.
For the Japanese imperial family, cousin marriage is not uncommon, but this behavior has also been criticized because it may lead to serious consequences.
With the continuous development of technology and society, people are gradually realizing the disadvantages of cousin marriage and sibling marriage.
Although this phenomenon is relatively common in Japan, the root cause is still due to cultural and national influences.
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