ABSTRACT
The Meiji Restoration was a peculiar renewal that aimed for a constitutional monarchy and equality for the four feudal castes. It continued to support the differences in social standing from the previous Edo period. Using these two 'containers' as metaphors, we can develop an understanding of the spatial hierarchies extant during this period in Japan's history and differentiate between Japan's inward and outward representation of Japanese nationality. The British consul in Japan made two inquiries regarding international marriage, one before and one after the Meiji Restoration. Intermarriage during the period of colonial expansion and the Second World War provides contexts in which the role of the koseki in creating spatial hierarchies can be further fruitfully explored. The French Code Napoleon, upon which Edict 103 was heavily based, emerged in the early nineteenth century and observed the principle that married couples share the same nationality.
