ABSTRACT
The modern koseki originated with the Koseki Law of 1871 which aimed to register all nationals of Japan. This koseki system was constructed as a survey of the present conditions of dwellings and their inhabitants. Gender change can be revealed to third parties because copies of the entire koseki document are used for a wide range of documentation purposes. In 1882 councillor and scholar of French law Mitsukuri Rinsho, who strove to produce a civil code, stressed during a senate session on koseki regulations that, the koseki law is characteristic to the East. After the Meiji Restoration, the Meiji state sought to form a universal conscription-based army and to achieve financial stability through land tax reform while also seeking to suppress anti-government forces. In principle, the Japanese koseki system should issue documentation that only contains the essential data items. However, the setup of the Korean family relations document actually facilitates easy identification of the deceased's parents, spouse and children.
