Considering how gorgeous Japanese women are, by and large, and what excellent wives they make, all this is a little surprising, IMO.
Since decreased population results in decreased consumption which leads to decreased production which usually translates into decreased poluttion, I feel some kind of Al Gore International Green Climate Improvement Award coming up for Japan.
The USA has eliminated 55 million taxpayers by killing them in the womb, while the burden of medical care and social security for the elderly grows more burdensome by the day. Government based on buying votes is doomed to failure.
Everything is super expensive there, housing is a joke. I wonder how could they afford to have children earlier.
The population of America has more than doubled in my lifetime.
One modern robot working 24/7 can compensate for a whole lot of workers producing widgets. The idea of paying unsupportable levels to pensioners and healthcare providers by increasing population with more workers who do not produce enough to cover both their own and their parents entitlements deserves the name, "Ponzi scheme."
Their population will even out and become relatively stable. Population decline is not necessarily a bad thing
Import some muslims, it is working well in Europe, if population is your main concern.
Yea, Japan! The world is overpopulated. I hope the rest of Asia and Africa will quickly follow Japan's lead, because all those children are taking up space that could be filled with something I like better, and they're using up resources that really ought to go to better people, like me. (/Gates Foundation)
I’ve thought about this for some time, I believe that all so-called first world nations are heading this way. And it’s because of a number of factors.
There are more “things” vying for people’s attention besides sex.
Pornography - It has the tendency to make sex with your spouse seem not as exciting as what you just watched on the screen. This applies to singles trying to find a spouse also, no one seems to come up to the same standards as what is on the screen.
Taxes and cost of living - It’s become more and more expensive to have a spouse let alone have children.
Perceived value of children - In an agrarian or pre-industrial society children have immediate value to families as “free” labor. In a “modern” society children are mostly just “there” as both Mother and Father work to bring in enough money for food, shelter and “things”.
I’m not counting the Welfare class in this, Children in that class mean Ka-ching for their mothers. Females are valued for that and Males are just sperm-donors or in Jail.
(Huge Generalization there, folks).
Robotics and Automation in General also mean that workers at all levels are less needed.
So if you follow all of these trends, then in a Post-industrial society you should see population collapse occur and then rebound to the level required to sustain that society.
In the case of a total civilization crash, you should see Children once again valued and needed as labor as “someone” has to work the fields to bring in the crops for food.
I’m sure there are lots of other factors but these are the ones that came to mind the quickest for this post.
From the large number turning 65, it appears that Japan has a large crop of boomers too.
I’m not a boomer but my younger sister is. I always think that is a mystery
I suspect that population density might have some long term adverse affect on population growth.
Japan is ranked as one of the most densely populated countries already and that ranking does not even consider that the % of it’s livable land space compared to its total land space is one of the lowest. There is no “spacious western lands” in Japan to move to if one wanted to.
I am wondering in my mind if Japan were able to sustain itself during a period when its population density would decline from the high it is today, if there would be seen, after some time, a trend of improving Japanese birth rates? Just a curiosity to me.
I'm not kidding. An entire generation of little Japanese girls would spend their entire day frantically pushing the buttons trying to keep their electronic pets alive and healthy.
I thinking by now they have upgraded these toys to include virtual babies in which they are prompted to change diapers, bottle-feed, etc. It is probably so gratifying to these girls that they no longer see a need to go through the actual experience. Besides, if you neglect your electronic "virtual" baby and kill it, you can always do a factory reset and get your baby back, without the inconvenience of a public trial and jailtime.
