Peasant Families and Population Control in Eighteenth-Century Japan

Abstract

An analysis of the annual population registers from 1717-1830 for the village of Nakahara in Japan indicated that infanticide was a common practice and was the major factor responsible for the low growth rate which characterized the village during the 18th century. The data was used to construct a fertility curve. The curve indicated that the villagers did not practice contraception; however, the curve was consistent with the type of curve expected for a population practicing infanticide. An analysis of sex ratios, birth order, and birth intervals provided additional evidence of infanticide. The overall sex ratios were not abnormally skewed; however when birth order and sex ratios were examined together, the ratios revealed a sexual bias and indicated that both female and male infanticide was practiced. After the 2nd child, couples tended to have a next child of the sex which was underrepresented in the previous births. Further analysis suggested that the villagers used infanticide to: 1) limit family size; 2) to create a balance between family size and the size of the family farm; 3) to increase birth intervals; and 4) to avoid having a next child of the same sex as the previously born child if that child had died (sic). These findings further suggested that infanticide might have been a factor in the slow rate of population growth observed for the total Japanese population during the 18th century. Results of the study were presented in tabular form.

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