Adopting Adults Popular in Japan

Adopting adults is becoming popular in Japan.

In Japan, only two percent of adoptions involve babies and little kids. The remaining 98 percent are adults adopting other adults. 

In the country, inheritance traditionally travels along the male branches of the family tree with the eldest being the typical recipient of the wealth and the family business. In daughter-only households the need for a male heir has lead to the practice of adopting men who are in the 20 to 30 year old age group. 

People with less than desirable sons may also opt to get a better candidate. 

Where are all of the extra sons coming from? Families with extra males can put them on the market. The payoff can be millions of yen. 

Although the inheritance practices haven't been law since before World War 2, many businessmen find the tradition difficult to abandon. 

At some companies, being adopted by the owners is considered a promotion and the battle to be the one is fierce. 

The oldest family owned business in the world is Japan's Hoshi Ryokan Hotel in Komatsu, founded in 717 AD.