<P> In the Far East, South Korea is especially restrictive with bans on marriage out to third cousins, with all couples having the same surname and region of origin having been prohibited from marrying until 1997 . </P> <P> Taiwan, North Korea, and the Philippines also prohibit first - cousin marriage . </P> <P> It is allowed in Japan, though the incidence has declined in recent years . </P> <P> China has banned it since passing its 1981 Marriage Law although cross-cousin marriage was commonly practiced in China in the past in rural areas . An article in China Daily from the 1990s reported on the ban's implementation in the northeastern province of Liaoning, along with a ban on marriage of the physically and mentally handicapped, all justified on "eugenic" grounds . Limited existing data indicate some remaining cousin marriage of types besides father's brother's daughter in many villages, with percentages usually in the lower single digits . A 2002 Time article claims that an increasing imbalance in the number of males and females is causing more cousin marriages, as "desperate" males struggle to find brides . Currently according to the Marriage Law of the People's Republic of China, "Article 7 No marriage may be contracted under any of the following circumstances: (1) if the man and the woman are lineal relatives by blood, or collateral relatives by blood up to the third degree of kinship ." </P>

Is it normal in japan to date cousins
find me the text answering this question