Incredible Shrinking Country (Japan faces swift demographic collapse)

New York Times ^ | 04/28/2012 | By ROSS DOUTHAT

[SeekAndFind]

“THE Children of Men,” P. D. James’s 1992 novel, is set in a future where the world’s male population has become infertile, and an aging Britain is adapting to the human race’s gradual extinction. Women push dolls in baby carriages. Families baptize kittens. There are state-run “national porn shops” to stimulate the flagging male libido. Suicide flourishes. Immigrants are welcomed as guest laborers but expelled once they become too old to work. The last children born on earth — the so-called “Omegas” — have grown up to be bored, arrogant, antisocial and destructive.

James’s book, like most effective dystopias, worked by exaggerating existing trends — the plunge in birthrates across the developed world, the spread of voluntary euthanasia in nations like the Netherlands and Switzerland, the European struggle to assimilate a growing immigrant population.

But one developed nation is making “Children of Men” look particularly prophetic. In Japan, birthrates are now so low and life expectancy so great that the nation will soon have a demographic profile that matches that of the American retirement community of Palm Springs. “Gradually but relentlessly,” the demographer Nick Eberstadt writes in the latest issue of The Wilson Quarterly, “Japan is evolving into a type of society whose contours and workings have only been contemplated in science fiction.”

Eberstadt has spent years writing about the challenges posed by declining fertility around the globe. But Japan, he notes, is a unique case. The Japanese birthrate hovers around just 1.3 children per woman, far below the level required to maintain a stable population. Thanks to increasing life expectancy, by 2040 “there could almost be one centenarian on hand to welcome each Japanese newborn.” Over the same period, the overall Japanese population is likely to decline by 20 percent, with grim consequences for an already-stagnant economy

[douginthearmy]

THe Japs are so racist

One wonders if even in the darkest recesses of your own mind do you not see the irony.

FYI, some of the most popular Pop bands and actors and models in Japan are all Korean. It's one of the big trends right now.

[packrat35]

But not as brave as the man who first circumcised one.

That's been a running joke with me for 20 years or more. I went to work one day and someone noticed my hands were all scratched up (I had been working cleaning up hedges in the yard)) and asked me what happened to my hands?

I told them I was circumcising my cat. Everybody just looked at me weird and I never told them any different.

[packrat35]

I would be sitting in a booth at a cafe’ and Japanese women,most of them young and beautiful would come and sit at my table and start talking in English to me. They would ask all kinds of question about my country, American culture and sooner or later, about sex. It seems that their boyfriends or husbands don't like having sex..... What a pity that their males have lost....Lust....

Wish I had moved to Japan when I was younger sometimes. I love my wife and don't want to give her up, but I would be lying if I said I didn't find Japanese women very stimulating. I don't see how the men could lose their lust there or anywhere for that matter.

[Tijeras_Slim]

can you imagine the horror they would create after taking over an island without out ONE natural resource?

Sure, it's called Haiti.

[narses]

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[Cringing Negativism Network]

Frankly Japan would do well to get over their cultural xenophobia, and open immigration.

Even immigrants who have lived in Japan for generations, are profoundly discriminated against.

The new reality for Japan, is even more stark than the reality American are stubbornly trying to avoid looking at:

Japan faces Chinese domination. Soon.

They’re about to be overwhelmed, by the very same “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere” they once tried to create.

And their new boss, is pretty p!ssed about some of the things they did, in places like NanJing.

Just saying.

Embrace the outside world, Japan. Welcome talented, determined immigrants who seek to join with you in friendship. This poster for one, would not mind climbing aboard.

Japan, with all the respect an ancient, innovative and outstanding culture deserves; this poster humbly mentions one simple fact for consideration:

You’ve already seen more clearly than perhaps any other nation - exactly what America is like, as a victor.

How do you suppose 1.3 billion Chinese Communists, will treat your nation, in that role?...

[Ken H]

Japan is aborting itself out of existence. Each year hundreds of thousands of lives are snuffed out.

Japan has one of the lowest rates of abortion in the world. Not as low as the Netherlands, but certainly down on the list. See:

http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/ib_0599.html

[dfwgator]

I remember back in the late 70s, they really seemed to like Cheap Trick.

[Morgana]

“There are state-run “national porn shops” to stimulate the flagging male libido

In a perverted country where children are sex objects (kiddie porn possession is legal)... who wants to have children? They obviously have no idea what the problem really is. “

“national porn shops”??? They must be joking! Porn is the reason half the men in the US can’t get an erection (young men too) and need Viagra! Yes companies who make drugs like Viagra know this too. At $10.00 a pill do you think they really care? Get rid of the porn and more men would not need drugs like Viagra.

[Truth29]

"At that density we could stuff the world’s population into the USA and Canada."

Don't give Obama any ideas. The open borders crowd would love to send out the invitations with the remaining taxpayers footing the bill.

[count-your-change]

And?

[Monkey Face]

Birth control and abortions will govern the world’s population in the not-to-distant future. It would seem the seniors would rule....or not.

[GeronL]

bump!

Including the U-15 mags and DVD’s and underage prostitution

[man_in_tx]

Trust me... There is room: Regions such as Tohoku and Hokkaido are mostly country.

They are indeed in demographic trouble.

[junta]

The movie was slightly less than PC at least when it came to Islam and the anti-facists. The mooslims were seen as crazies but not as crazy as the anti-facists and both were exterminated with predjudice and no one gave a fig.

[Monkey Face]

Now THAT is a feat of bravado! You are a better man than I am, Gunga Din!!

[Dr. Sivana]

Japan is aborting itself out of existence. Ah, I guess it was time for another fun round of "lets not read the article."

Both the article and the poster are accurate. Although rates have declined significantly there are still over 28 abortions for every 100 live births.

[GOPJ]

Japan is resource poor. Therefore, Japan’s economic successes depended on imported raw materials [dependence]. Energy resources alone account for 14% of its total imports. With virtually no domestic oil supplies Japan imports much crude oil from the Persian Gulf area . Oil is used to meet nearly 60% of Japan’s total energy needs [energy].

http://www.harpercollege.edu/mhealy/g101ilec/Japan/jpe/res/jperesfr.htm

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Haiti has bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, and marble.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

My family was stationed in for 10 years, 1951-1961. We lived in Sagamihara and Yokohama. I was 13 years old when we returned stateside.

[elcid1970]

This is neat! We started in Camp Yokohama in September 1956 then moved to Camp Zama. I went to school in Sagamihara, 3rd & 4th grade 1957-58. Went on shopping trips to Fuchinobe near Zama, and Motomachi near Negishi Heights from where you could see Fujiyama. Tachikawa and Yokosuka for big BX’s. Resort trips to Nara and Lake Biwako. Never made it to Zushi beach.

To this day my wife & I entertain guests with sukiyaki dinners. Sushi was old hat long before it became yuppie fare. Experience the best of Japan and ignore the rest, I have always said.