As Japans aging population becomes more severe, more and more Japanese people are going through the process of divorce after their spouses pass away. In other words, they are getting divorced after death.
The so-called posthumous divorce refers not to a divorce from the deceased spouse, but rather to breaking off relations with the spouses parents. According to a report by the Japan Economic News on the 28th, the number of such cases has been increasing since 2015. In 2017, there were 4,895 cases of posthumous divorces. The number gradually decreased in the following years, but it reached a peak of 4,027 cases in 2024.
In Japan, processing the procedure for divorce after death is very simple. It involves submitting a request to terminate the marital relationship to the local government where the persons household registration or residence is located. There is no need to notify or obtain consent from the deceased spouses relatives. After submitting the application, the legal kinship between children and their grandparents or maternal grandparents remains unchanged. Additionally, divorce after death does not affect the legal relationship with the deceased spouse. The parties can still choose to keep their spouses surname, and they will still be entitled to their share of the estate and insurance benefits.
According to the Japan Economic News, the peak of posthumous divorces over a decade ago was mainly driven by women. The most common reason was conflicts with husbands or fathers-in-law, with many women hoping to get rid of their patriarchal relationships with their in-laws through this action. In contrast, the recent increase in such cases is due to people who refuse to support their spouses parents while they are still alive.
Statistical data shows that in 2024, the number of elderly people in Japan aged 75 and above reached 20.69 million. This number has increased significantly over the past twenty years, reaching approximately 1.7 times the original figure.
According to Japan Network, some people who retain traditional values believe that once women get married, they become part of their husbands families. This means they need to live with their husbands parents, assist in managing family business, maintain contact with relatives, and take care of their elderly husbands parents.
Today, women generally go out to work. After marriage, they continue to work alongside their husbands. While taking care of household chores and raising children, they also provide financial support for their families. Both emotionally and financially, it is difficult for them to play the traditional role of daughters-in-law for their in-laws.
