earticle

영어

This paper reviews genealogical federations in Japan – household federations that mutually recognize the relationship among the original house, the branch (branch of kin), and separate houses (branches of non-kin), and have various livelihood associations. Mitsui, a large merchant family in recent times, is the target of discussion. The point of discussion is whether non-kin households can be included in Mitsui’s genealogical federations. “Separation of genealogical federations from management” has been progressing the most in the case of Mitsui, compared with merchant families in recent times, and whether non-kin households are included as genealogical federations has been vague. In conclusion, Mitsui and non-kin households mutually recognize the relationship between the original house and the separate house and also have the relationship between households and households in relation to livelihood; therefore it was suggested that non-kin households were also units of genealogical federations. This conclusion is meaningful because large merchant families different from small and medium merchant families are positioned in the theory of merchant families and genealogical federations.