That's still the same issue, people confounding estate and family members, and it gets written that way because it elicits emotional response, not necessarily b

That's still the same issue, people confounding estate and family members, and it gets written that way because it elicits emotional response, not necessarily because it were true. It looks like in principle it is the same as the English Common Law or the Napoleonic or Germanic law: "[T]here are two ways for successors to consent how to inherit: simple consent (tanjun-syonin) and limited consent (gentei-syonin). Simple consent is to accept the whole inheritance, including debts and assets. Limited consent is to accept debts with a limitation up to the value of the assets." -- http://japan.angloinfo.com/money/pensions-wills/inheritance-law/ http://japan.angloinfo.com/money/pensions-wills/inheritance-... In fact I doubt there is a legal system in existence that doesn't follow this principle. It would be ripe for abuse, as everybody would be getting loans secured on the wealth of their rich relatives.