“Still Caring for In-Laws After Husband’s Death?”… Why ‘Posthumous Divorce’ Is Rising Again in Japan

Notifications of Severing In-law Ties Rising for Third Consecutive Year After Spousal Death
Previously Motivated by Rejection of Patriarchy... Now Driven by "Caregiving Burden"
20.69 Million People Aged 75 and Over: Impact of Super-Aging Society

In Japan, the so-called "posthumous divorce," which refers to severing legal ties with one’s spouse’s family after the spouse’s death, is on the rise again. While in the past, rejection of the patriarchal family system was cited as the main reason, recent analysis suggests that practical concerns, such as avoiding the burden of caring for elderly in-laws amid a rapidly aging society, have become more significant.

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According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) on May 27, the annual number of submissions for Japan’s “notification of termination of in-law relationships,” commonly known as posthumous divorce, has increased for three consecutive years, reaching 4,027 cases in 2024.

Posthumous divorce refers to the procedure of legally ending the in-law relationship with the family of a deceased spouse. This can be done simply by submitting a notification of termination of in-law relationships to the local government office where one’s registered domicile or residency is located. There is no obligation to notify or seek consent from the deceased spouse’s family. However, the kinship between children and grandparents is maintained.

The number of posthumous divorce cases began to rise in 2015, peaking at 4,895 in 2017. Afterward, the figure declined, dropping to its lowest level in 2021, but has recently shown an upward trend again.

Nikkei reported that in the 2010s, many women chose posthumous divorce as a form of resistance against the patriarchal system, due to the expectation that they would continue to care for their in-laws or manage family graves even after their husbands’ deaths. The act carried strong psychological and symbolic significance.

In contrast, the recent increase is attributed mainly to practical reasons, particularly the desire to reduce the burden of caring for elderly in-laws. The deepening of Japan’s super-aged society has significantly heightened the actual burden of caregiving.

In fact, the number of “late elderly” individuals aged 75 and over in Japan reached 20.69 million in 2024, about 1.7 times higher than 20 years ago. Especially as the post-World War II baby boomer “Dankai generation” enters this senior demographic, cases where surviving spouses must bear the responsibility of caring for in-laws alone after their spouse’s death have become relatively more common.

Hisako Nakazawa, an attorney who primarily handles consultations related to posthumous divorce, told Nikkei, “In the 2010s, people who first learned about the posthumous divorce system were the main ones submitting notifications. Recently, however, there has been an increase in reports from those who are actually facing the reality of caring for their in-laws.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.