In this special issue an examination of the discriminatory customs and systems in Japan and an exploration of how women have been challenging patriarchal culture. This issue starts with a round-table discussion on the family image and the environment surrounding single mothers and sexual 'minorities'. Sumiko Tanaka lived together without being legally married and got a child in 1985. An interview with Tanaka about her fight to abolish the illegitimate status of her child and their success to change the registration of children born out of wedlock. Individual participation is encouraged to eventually collapse the Emperor system. In the year 2000 of all registered marriages in Japan 4,5% have been international. Attention for permanent residency as an option for non-Japanese families in Japan. There is a growing demand for a same-sex partnership system. People are forming new communities that better suit their lifestyles.