By: Nene Hamada
Image courtesy of CNN.
CHOICE THE JAPANESE WOMEN’S BETWEEN WORK DILEMMA: AND THE HOME December 24, 2019—I was scrolling
As the data compiled by the Japanese Ministry
Welfare
for women in their childbearing ages. Since
waiting for my train home to arrive at Shibuya
indicates, Japan has an increasing death rate
the mid-20th century, Japan’s population
station, when a headline of The Japan Times
and steadily declining birth rate wherein
has steadily dropped, prompting the current
caught my eye: “Babies born in Japan to drop
2019 only saw 864,000 births—a rate of 7.3
Shinzo Abe administration to institute a
below 900,000 in 2019 for the first time.”1 As the train pulled into the station, I remember examining the ages of those that exited the train. Strikingly, despite it being Christmas Eve and the middle of winter break, the majority of the people I saw were those in
of
Health,
Labor
and
the low incentives starting a family offers
through the notifications on my phone,
Japan has an increasing death rate and steadily declining birth rate wherein 2019 only saw 864,000 births
their thirties or older. On the train too, little
series of work-style labor reforms and comprehensive financial support for child upbringing, especially as younger generations already feel burdened with higher taxes as the population ages. Yet, if these reforms have not resulted in great change, what is a possible measure that can positively influence Japan’s
to no children of ages 10 or younger could be
births per 1,000 population compared to the
spotted in my car—let alone any families—
12.4 births per 1,000 population of the United
aging population crisis? As a female who has been brought up in
and only a few teenagers typing away on their
States.2 The negative trend is paradoxical
Japanese society, I feel as if the main problem
phones. Why so?
for Japan’s shrinking population because of
of Japan’s aging population is in the country’s
1 Jiji Reuters, “Babies Born in Japan to Drop below 900,000 in 2019 for First Time,” The Japan Times, 24 Dec. 2019, www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/12/24/national/japanese-newbornsbelow-900000/#.XoM1uOf0nGK. 2 “The World Factbook: Japan,” Central Intelligence Agency, 1 Feb. 2018, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ja.html.; “The World Factbook: United States,” Central Intelligence Agency, 1 Feb. 2018.; “令和元年(2019) 人口動態統計の年間推計,” Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, 24 Dec. 2019, www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/saikin/hw/jinkou/suikei19/dl/2019suikei. pdf.
6 History and Contemporary Culture