115.Data on the proportion of women among the members of the disaster management councils of local government as follows. By the end of fiscal year 2021, the GOJ will follow up on the status of efforts of local governments and make them public. The GOJ will continue to conduct a follow-up annually.

Year	Prefectural disaster management councils	Municipal disaster management councils
2015	13.2%	7.7%
2016	14.0%	8.0%
2017	14.9%	8.1%
2018	15.7%	8.4%
2019	16.0%	8.7%
2020	16.1%	8.8%

116.Paragraph 63 shows the commitments on climate change and risk management of disaster in the Fifth Basic Plan. The Basic Disaster Management Plan approved by the Central Disaster Management Council also has been revised in its provisions to incorporate a gender perspective into each phase of disaster response. (Annex 11 shows the details.) In May 2020, the GOJ called on local governments for utilizing the “Guidelines for Disaster Planning, Response and Reconstruction from a Gender-equal Perspective,” and the Fifth Basic Plan provides its thorough utilization.

Marriage and family relations

Response to paragraph 25

117.The Civil Code regulates the division of property upon divorce and does not impose any restrictions on the method of dividing property. The Civil Code clearly stipulates the procedure to be taken by family courts when the parties do not reach an agreement on the division of properties as well.

118.The revised Act on Civil Execution, which came into effect in April 2020, established a new procedure for creditors who have a title of obligation such as a court ruling. This new procedure enables the creditors to obtain information on the property of debtors from a third party other than the debtor. The revised Act also strengthens the system of property disclosure. With these revisions, a woman who is considering to divorce is able to obtain information on her spouse’s savings, real estate and workplace from banks, registry office, or municipal government through the court if her spouse fails to pay child support.

119.The Fifth Basic Plan provides research and consideration to secure payment of child support, consideration of amendments in Acts to review the system of child support, and specific measures for safe and secure visits and contact. The GOJ continues to give due consideration to these points.

120.The Civil Code stipulates two different rules for the determination of paternity between a child born in and out of wedlock. The first rule is based on the idea that a child conceived by a wife during marriage is likely to be her husband’s child, and that presuming a child to be naturally born in wedlock on the basis of marriage is conducive to the protection of the interests of the child. The second rule, on the other hand, is based on the idea that it matches the interests of a child who was born out of wedlock, where there is no such a presumption based on marriage, to establish his/her paternity by either voluntary or forced recognition. The term “a child born out of wedlock” merely refers to a child born between a man and a woman who are not legally married, and it does not equate to discrimination against children born out of wedlock at all. The revised Civil Code, which came into effect in 2013, stipulates that children born both in and out of wedlock are entitled to have equal shares of inheritance.