In Korea, for instance, he can only adopt an agnate and one of a lower generation than his own.

But in Japan his choice is not so limited.

In so praiseworthy an act as the perpetuation of his unimportant family line, it is deemed unwise in that progressive land to hinder him from unconsciously bettering it by the way.

He is consequently permitted to adopt anybody.

As people are by no means averse to being adopted, the power to adopt whom he will gives him more voice in the matter of his unnatural offspring than he ever had in the selection of a more natural one.
The adopted changes his name, of course, to take that of the family he enters.