Marriage, Remarriage, and the Stem Family Household: Evidence from a Northeastern Town and Villages in Japan, 1716-1870

Satomi Kurosu, Reitaku University
Miyuki Takahashi, Rissho University

This study examines the patterns and covariates of marriage and remarriage in a region of Japan with strong adherence to stem family organization. Data are drawn from the local population registers of a post town and the surrounding villages in the northeast for the period of 1716-1870. Event history analysis is applied separately for males, for females, and for two types of previous marriages (uxorilocal and virilocal). Controlling for demographic and economic factors, coresiding kin had differential impacts on marriage and remarriage of these subgroups. The individual, whether male or female, residing in a town or village, was tightly bound to the needs and fates of his or her natal and/or marital households within the larger context of local economic conditions.