Money Matters - No.2

In Japan, there was a legal system that the eldest son took care of his parents and other family members in exchange for inheriting all property. It is no longer legally provided and under the current law, property is equally divided between all heirs. However, this outdated system still exists and one of the most interesting legacies is that only the eldest son (if a son does not exist, the eldest daughter) and his spouse as well as his unmarried sisters who have never married may be buried in the family grave, but others have to procure their own graves.

Keiko is the eldest daughter and married, and has a younger brother. In short, her brother is the eldest son and Keiko has no right to be buried in the family grave. (By the way, she does not care about the right to the grave itself, but such unfair treatment between siblings due to gender or seniority.)

Keiko has often been told by her father since her childhood that she has to look after her parents when they get old, which means that she has to live with or near her parents to look after them as if she were their nurse free of charge. She couldn't understand this when she was small, but now understands what he means. Her parents wants her to sacrifice herself to take care of them without consideration. Her father often says that money does not matter, but it is unbelievable for Keiko how come her parents think that Keiko loves them so much that she wants to take care of them for nothing. To tell the truth, seeing them reminds her of the trauma she suffered from her parents and so she wants to see them as little as possible.

For Keiko, her parents and brother are no longer her family, but service recipients and therefore money matters. She has no intention to sacrifice her life for them and wants to know how on earth her father came to believe that money does not matter.