Japanese Demography Crisis: A Looming Economic Quagmire
Cairo: Hani Kamal El-Din
Among the men of the Land of the Rising Sun, there are many who prefer sleeping with “rubber wives” and erotic pillows.
On the occasion of Japan’s annually celebrated Children’s Day, originally observed as “Boys’ Day,” the government’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications released alarming statistics regarding the ongoing decline in childbirths in the country. According to these data, the number of children aged 14 and younger residing in the country currently stands at 14.01 million, decreasing by 330,000 in a year. The proportion of children to the total population of the country decreased by 0.2 percentage points to 11.3%. This is the lowest level since 1950 when authorities began keeping such statistics. As a result of record-low birth rates, Japan’s population shrinks year by year, reaching 124.35 million people at the end of 2023, which is 595,000 fewer than in 2022.
According to data provided by the Kyodo News agency, published by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of infants decreased by 5.1 percent to 758,631. Since 2022, this figure has remained below the 800,000 mark. The population, including foreign residents, decreased by 831,872 individuals, with mortality surpassing childbirth. The decline occurred much earlier than projected by the government’s National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, which forecasted a birth rate falling below 760,000 by 2035. The number of births has more than halved since peaking in 1973 at around 2.09 million infants. In 2016, this figure fell below one million.
Similarly, the number of deaths in Japan reached a record high of 1,590,503, while the number of marriages dropped to its lowest level since the end of World War II, totaling 489,281 unions. Meanwhile, the number of divorces rose to 187,798, an increase of 4,695.
The rapid decline in the number of newborns is attributed to delayed marriages and people’s inclination to live alone. The Japanese government has dubbed the period until 2030 as the “last chance” to reverse these trends.
Kanako Amano, a senior researcher at the NLI Research Institute, believes that to increase the number of marriages, the government must enact labor reforms, such as raising wages in rural areas and closing the gender pay gap. Parliament should also pass a bill to increase child allowances. Experts cite the uncertain employment situation caused by COVID-19 and a growing disinterest in marriage among youth as the main reasons for Japan’s demographic decline.
Extending maternity and childcare leave could also be significant measures. Surveys show that currently, 51% of companies allow working women to take leave after giving birth for 12 to 18 months, while only 27% of companies offer leave for six months to a year.
Japanese demography experts note, “We need to raise wages for workers and create a society where couples can raise children together.” Examples are given where some city administrations are taking serious steps to support families raising children. For instance, in Nagaidzumi City in Shizuoka Prefecture, parents of children up to 18 years old do not need to pay if they are admitted to the hospital due to illness. Payment for nursery or kindergarten for a second child in the family is also waived. Residents can also receive gift vouchers for their children from the city. As a result, the average number of newborns in this city is higher than in other cities in Japan.
A significant reason deterring Japanese people from having children is the high cost of educating sons and daughters. The idea of introducing free education even prompted some parliamentarians to form a party called “For the Implementation of Free Education,” led by the well-known politician and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Seiji Maehara.
The decline in birth rates creates serious economic and social problems as progressing low birth rates are accompanied by an aging society trend. Currently, the proportion of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 is around 60%.
The demographic situation in Japan has reached a critical level. She has just six years left to reverse the declining birth rate trend. After 2030, this will be much more difficult, as the number of Japanese youth will begin to decline rapidly, warned Japanese Cabinet Secretary-General Yoshimasa Hayashi, commenting on disappointing statistics for 2023. “There is no time to waste,” he added.
The Japanese authorities are very concerned that a further decline in the population could cause a very complex social problem, when a decrease in the number of workers will make it impossible to maintain an ever-increasing army of pensioners at the current level. The number of residents of the country aged 75 years and older increased by 713 thousand, exceeding 20 million for the first time. The number of residents aged 0 to 14 years decreased by 329 thousand, to approximately 14.17 million. The share of the elderly was also a record, amounting to 16.1% , and the share of children under 15 years of age reached 11.4% and reached a new historical minimum. Of Japan’s 47 prefectures, only one showed population growth – Tokyo, where the number of residents increased for the second year in a row. However, this is mainly due to the movement of Japanese to the capital from peripheral areas.
It will be difficult to reverse the current alarming demographic situation in Japan by taking economic measures, because, as noted by a senior researcher at Japan Research Institute Ltd. Takumi Fujinami, “the desire of young people to get married has decreased significantly. It is also true that there is a belief that marriage reduces happiness.” “The downward trend in the number of births is likely to continue,” the specialist added, noting that a sharp recovery in the number of marriages will be difficult due to the changing attitudes of young people.
The author of these lines has heard more than once from young and even middle-aged Japanese men that courting girls and women is an expensive and troublesome business, and marriage and children limit freedom and the possibility of self-expression in what they love. Hence the tendency towards an increase in the number of so-called “civil marriages” without official registration of marriages. According to statistics, about a quarter of Japanese men under the age of 50 have never been officially married. For women, the percentage is lower – about 15%. And in 1970, there were only 1.7% of such men, and 3.33% of women.
But there are more and more men who have a negative attitude towards sexual relationships as such. In Japanese sources you can find the following statistics: “…Japanese adults do not make love, according to a study that found that approximately 25% of heterosexual Japanese adults aged 18 to 39 have never had sex. When broken down by age group, among people up to 20 years old 80% of virgins, from 20 to 24 years old – 40%, and from 35 to 39 – almost 10%. Of course, this means that if nothing changes, Japan is threatened with the dominance of 40-year-old virgins.”
Professor Shigeru Kashima of Meiji University notes: “During the rapid growth of the Japanese economy in the 1980s – when it even became the world’s second largest economy – a hard-working man was considered the ideal of masculinity. After the Japanese economy worsened in the 1990s, a period of financial instability ensued.” and economic stagnation really killed confidence in sex.”
Let us add to this the fact that even in prosperous years for the Japanese economy, late marriages were common in the country, because it was believed that before starting a family it was necessary to provide a reliable base for its maintenance: graduate from a university, get a well-paid job, save up funds to purchase housing. Now, during a period of stagnation in the economy and the deterioration of the material and social security of the Japanese, it is not easy to create such a base, which is not at all conducive to creating a family and having children.
Professor Kashima states: “Over the past two decades, some Japanese have found it difficult to cope with external difficulties and have become afraid of rejection (from a partner). There is also a tendency for men to devote themselves more to their hobbies, while women devote themselves to work.”
There are those who are in relationships but do not have sex. Some people don’t want to get into a relationship because they don’t want sex. Louise Tam writes about this in the South China Morning Post: “Asexual men are known as “otaku,” a Japanese term for socially awkward young men who have been isolated from family and romantic relationships. These “oddballs” are usually avid fans of anime and manga, but few interested in dating.”
Going even further are “soseku dansi,” which translates as “herbivorous men.” The term was coined by Japanese journalist Maki Fukasawa, who describes these particular isolationists as taking a “monastic approach to life and relationships,” which of course includes no sex.
“Japanese studies estimate that this class, usually aged 20-40, accounts for 60-70% of the male population. Of course, this reluctance to procreate is a major cause for concern. Japan has had one of the lowest world fertility levels,” concludes Louise Tam.
“Herbivorous men do not interact with others, do not form families, do not have children, and do not contribute anything truly meaningful to society, be it tangible or intangible,” says Dr Paul Wong Wai-hing, professor of social affairs and administration at Hong Kong University. university. “They are like parasites, often living with their parents. So you can imagine the long-term impact this will have on the community, socially and economically.”
In Japan, a whole social stratum has formed called hikikomori or hikki – a term that refers to people who refuse social life and, without leaving home, spend the day and night on the computer. Already at an advanced age, they do not want to work and live dependent on their parents. Such people are not interested in communicating with other people, especially with women. According to statistics, about 39% of Japanese residents experience loneliness and isolation from society. To combat these phenomena, a special law was adopted in the country. According to the legal act, these problems are characteristic not of individuals, but of society as a whole. The law requires local authorities to create regional councils that include support groups for single people.
Another reason for the decline in childbearing is the presence of men who experience sexual desire, but prefer to satisfy it by using the “adult toys” that have become widespread in Japan, namely the very skillfully crafted “rubber wives.” According to some data, about 2 thousand of these dolls are sold every year in Japan, the cost of which starts from 384 thousand in terms of Russian rubles. This love for “rubber wives” is explained by the fact that men can talk to them on equal terms: “There is no stress with them, like with a real wife, and they complain much less often.”
There are also Japanese people who find satisfaction in falling asleep in an embrace with an erotic “waifu” pillow. These are pillows of various sizes with images of female anime characters. As one description states, “Anime body pillows allow fans to snuggle up to their favorite characters and feel a sense of closeness with them.”
