It crosses minds as we walk around and notice that Japanese people are either very old or very young. Our surroundings make it easy enough to note that there is an age gap, somewhere. What has caused this? People will blame many things, but who will actually receive the pointed finger? Its safe to say Japan is in a population deficit. It is crazy think that Japan's birth rate has dropped lower than their death rate. The decrease in population went from 2.7 million in 1948 to 1.12 million in 2006. Not nearly enough babies are being born in Japan. The crisis has escalated very quickly. The voice of Russia claims,"There were an estimated 16.33 million children aged under fifteen as of April 1, down from 160,000 from a year earlier. Japan's decreased fertility rate has resulted from a series of events, some being; Japanese women(general), Japanese women(risks), the Atomic bomb, and the super-aging community that Japan has found itself in.
The women of Japan have a huge part in why the Japanese population is shrinking. First off, the women are opting out of marriage. Women think that men will hold the them back in what they want to do with their life, as the Japanese culture is different from the average American culture and how women are portrayed. The decline in marriages has had a signifiant impact on why there are not many babies being born. It is actually the biggest reason as well. If and/or when these ladies to decide to get married, it is far later in life when having a baby is out of the question. The women of Japan have a mindset of becoming a housewife and potentially working from home, but even then they cannot seem to find a husband or man that is financially stable, and able to "afford" a housewife. .
T. B. from The Economist notes that, "Women shun marriage and children because Japan's old-fashioned corporate culture, together with a dire shortage of childcare, would force them to give up their careers.
