divorce

Breach of a promise to marry can lead to an award of damages in Japan.  Furthermore, similar to some types of commercial contracts, promises to marry do not have to be written down to be enforceable, as long as there is enough evidence to show the existence of the promise.  In many cases for breach of a promise to marry, the promise can be proved through showing that the couple had a traditional engagement ceremony, notified family and friends or purchased rings before the promise was broken.

These days the practice of couples living together and acting as if they were married, without filing a registration of marriage, has increased.  This type of relationship is called a “common law marriage.”  Common law marriages in Japan come with all of the same responsibilities that a “real” marriage does, including the duty to live together, help one another and remain faithful.