Japan

• 8 years running birth rates continually dropped
• below 5000 marriages per year for the first time in 90 years
• population will decline by 1/3 in 2070 and by 2/3 in 2100
• culture + history 


  • no children out of wedlock
  • take care of elderly
  • post ww2 Japan had one of the strongest economies in the world
  • traditionally only men worked but now both
  • not ethnically diverse - 98.5% Japanese, 1.5% other nations
  • 50% stopped having sex
  • long working hours
  • income $52,324 per year
  • wages not increased in 30 years
  • 70% of single men in 30s call them selves herbivore men so express little interest in getting married or being assertive in relationships with women
  • 4/10 people aged 65 or over
• physical environment


  • 75% mountains
  • 68% forests
  • 90.7% of population live in cities
  • 6800+ islands - 97% live in the largest 4, Tokyo has population of 38million
  • climates varies in regions
  • temperate climate
  • monsoon rain with typhoons in summer
• Key facts

  • population in 2020 123,294,513
  • 12th in world population rank
  • -0.5% population growth rate
  • life expectancy of 84.62 years
  • death rate 11.7/1000
  • fertility rate 1.26
  • gender ratio is 94 men to 100 women
  • population peaked in 2008
  • median age of 49.1
• Gov respones to population change

  • longer maternity and paternity leave - 6 months 2/3 pay and no tax for women and men 1 year full pay
  • allowance to combat high cost of living
  • Konkatus - organised dates
  • tax doubles from 5 to 10% to fund increasing pension costs
  • 'New Angel Plan' 2000 - provided free childcare and shorter working hours
  • encouraged immigration to increase work force
  • incentives to hire more women
  • raised retirement age
  • 9 more jobs to apply to with type 2 visa
  • lowering adulthood age from 20 to 18 so people can marry earlier
• 1-2 % children born out of wedlock
• 60% drop out of workforce after having children