Japan Adopts Adult Male Heirs

Japan has one of the world’s highest adoption rates, ranking second, but it rarely looks like the child-focused model many countries use. Most adoptees in Japan are adult men in their 20s and 30s. Families, especially those tied to long-running businesses, use adult adoption to bring in an heir who can take the family name and keep the company running. That system turns adoption into a tool for corporate continuity as much as family building.

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