Furthermore, the patriarchal family system was being loosened. In the first place, the greatest influence on this process was the fact that the old family system was denied legality. The rights of inheritance by the oldest son, the basis for inheritance of family property as well as the laws for supporting parents in their old age were changed so that all member of the family were given similar duties. To add, the principle was laid down that marriage should be based on the mutual agreement of the two people involved. Thus, viewed from the legal perspective, the post-war family system was established on the model of modem democracy.
So, to sum up, it can be said that the Japanese society was affected by experiencing significant changes both during and after the WW2. It seems as during the war the effects on the society were more negative – women and children taking the role of men to provide for the family, men forced to become soldiers or Kamikaze pilots, civilians deported to concentration camps and culture changing, however after the end of the WW2, when Japan was occupied by the US and democratized, the change in the education and family systems can be viewed as positive for the Japanese society.
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