FILIAL PIETY AND INTERGENERATIONAL SOLIDARITY IN JAPAN

The Confucian norm of filial piety is generally assumed as an underlyi ng ideology of the traditional living arrangement of the Japanese elde rly, ie., patri-lineal, patri-local stem family. In this article, the author describes the changes in filial piety and co-residence, and obs erves social relationships of the contemporary Japanese elderly. A sur vey with 882 elderly community residents as subjects clearly showed di fferential roles of others played in the social world of the elderly, especially significant differences between daughters and daughters-in- law. Elderly parents feel emotionally close to their daughters, whethe r they live together or apart, while they seldom feel emotionally clos e to co-resident daughters-in-law who actually provide instrumental su pport. Although living with a married son is still a preferred arrange ment, it is likely to bring harmful interactions with co-resident daug hters-in-law. Therefore avoiding co-residence might be a meaningful ch oice for the elderly, without immediate need of instrumental support. In Japan, intergenerational relationships between elderly parents and their adult children become move affection-based, convenience-oriented and free from the norm of filial piety than they used to be.