Japanese Population Decline
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Date
2006-06
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Publisher
The Ohio State University
Abstract
The purpose of this thesis is to research and study how Japan went from a highly populated country to a country with low birth rate and a declining population, how the economy will be affected by this, and how the Japanese government intends to solve this problem.
During my study abroad in Japan I noticed how few children there were in the neighborhoods. When I ask my friends from International Christian University why there were so few, they explained to me that the way women think about life now is different from what they used to. Years ago women in Japan were known to take care of their children in the house while the husband went out to work. Today, according to Yoshie Furuhashi (2006), 75% of Japanese women in their 20’s prefer to stay single in order to pursue their careers. However, the decline of marriages is not the only reason for the decline of children in Japan. It takes an average cost of 46,000 yen a month to raise a child (Huruhashi2006), and the costs rise as children grow. This has become more and more unappealing to a married couple. However, if this continues, Japan’s economy with fall drastically. With less people paying taxes, the government will soon face problems in issues such as construction of public roads, maintenance of public transportation, retirement homes, etc.
As a student taking fifth year Japanese I am expected to write my thesis in Japanese on a topic that I choose, and I hope to present it at the forum in Japanese, incorporating some of my observations from my study abroad experience.
Description
distinction
Keywords
japanese, decline, population, economy