Hi,
First, I went through the rules of the community and it seemed like the right place to post this so here I am.
As for the question, I’m studying the koseki for my Japanese law exam but I’m still not sure that I understand what exactly it is. To be more specific, I don’t quite get what “type” of identification document it is for the Japanese person. Like, if one were not to consider that you have to register all your civil status changes on it, would it be a plain ID card with your name, date of birth etc… on it, like a passport? To put it another way: is it just a simple ID which differs to IDs in countries like Italy (where I live) for example, due to the fact that is linked to a broader system of registration of people civil statuses. And because of this link Japanese people are considered to be organized on family units rather than individuals?
Sorry for this question which may sound stupid, but I couldn’t follow class so I’m a bit lost here. Also, thanks in advance for any response
https://www.reddit.com/r/japan/comments/10m42t9/a_question_about_the_koseki/
3 comments
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koseki
The physical form of the koseki is not an ID you keep – it’s a sheet of paper. You get it issued from city hall (and more recently it’s available to print at convenience stores) and it’s dated. Most things that require them need them to have been issued within the last 3 months.
An ID is something you carry with you to prove something about you (who you are, what you can do, what memberships you have, etc).
The koseki/family registry is more of a system the government uses primarily for legal and administrative purposes within Japan. You use it when registering for school, getting married, or obtaining government benefits. No one keeps their own koseki. You can get copies of it printed for administrative purposes, but it isn’t a thing that you keep in your home or anything like that.
…why are you asking on Reddit? If you’re studying for a Japanese law exam, don’t you have more… credible sources you can check and learn from? I’m not criticizing, I’m actually curious.