Family Cycle on Aogashima Island, Japan

Abstract

Aogashima island lying about 360kms. southward from Tokyo, is considerably separated from the Japanese mainland. Its inhabitants, mostly poor farmers, number 388 and the number of households is 104. The average number of members per farmer household is four, while in the rural districts of Japan it is six. This smallness of family size resultes from the customs relating to retirement of this island community.From the standpoint of the family cycle, I divided all couples, widowers and widows into six stages : (I) the first stage, to which belong families having as yet no children, (II) the second stage, to which belong child-rearing families, (III) the third stage, to which belong families which are also rearing young children, but with part of the children emigrated, (IV). the fouth stage, to which belong couples who have unmarried children, under their care, and married sons or daughters on the island, (V) the fifth stage, to which belong couples who have only married children, (VI) the sixth stage, to which belong widowers and widows having no children. The number of the first stage couples is 21, that of the second is 32, that of the third stage is 9, that of the fourth stage is 12, that of the fifth stage is 25, and that of the sixth stage is 12.One of the remarkable problems of population adjustment in the very low economic level of this island is that many old couples, old widowers and windows live in retirement and can get little support from their own adult sons and daughters. These poor old men and women maintain psychologically a mental state of ease in their retired life, but economically are compelled to live out the final course of their lives under miserable conditions.