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Is there a sociological reason why Japanese people are not having children at rates that sustain the population?

gnulinux 5y ago
Anecdote, but for some people, the question is the opposite, why are people having children? I understand that humans have biological desire to reproduce or some people may have a sense of community that may create the desire to generate nest generations. But for people who don't feel these feelings, making babies sound like extraordinary amount of work for questionable gains. I personally can't ever see myself having children. Just my personal thoughts, this comment is not meant to include any judgement opinion.
- MadSudaca 5y ago
  It's an interesting idea. Some personalities will only have children if they're forced by circumstances. This was the norm back when contraceptives didn't exist, and cultures (probably out of necessity), structured themselves to compel people to have children. Another interesting idea, is that over the long-term, cultures that allow their members the freedom not to have children, may be overrun peacefully or forcefully by those that don't, or that at least, provide larger incentives to have children. Moreover, again over a long enough time horizon, people's who naturally don't have the inclination to have children, will disappear from the gene pool, making having children (all other things equals) the most common and culturally sensible option.
- ineedasername 5y ago
  Yes, I understand that can be one reason. I guess I'm curious if it's the reason. There can be negative economic incentives, cultural norms, lack of infrastructure to support larger child populations, etc. I also know there's a tendency in more developed (or at least wealthier) countries that as they become more prosperous their populations have fewer children. I'm sure there's multiple reasons, but in the US it can be difficult to have children and support them in a single income. Yet at early ages daycare alone can eat into a significant part of someone's takehome salary. That economic equation puts some downward pressure on the # of kids.
- karpierz 5y ago
  It's a 18 year long personal project where you get to build/train your own embodied AI, and then let it loose to wreak havoc on the world.
karpierz 5y ago
People are worked to death and the country has been in stagnation for 30 years. Time that could be spent dating is spent working and future prospects seem bleak.
School-Cotton 5y ago
Plenty of first-world countries have birth rates comparable to Japan’s or even lower. The unique thing about Japan among developed countries isn’t its low birth rate, but its lack of mass immigration.
bojo 5y ago
The younger generation is staring at their overworked and over-stressed parents asking themselves what the point is. More of them are taking less stable NEET jobs over big corporations in order to get more flexibility with regards to a work-life balance, and they aren't spending that extra time dating. Worse, I was watching the Japanese news (~6 years ago) which had a discussion where an economist pointed out that while wages have stagnated since the late 1980's, base taxes have gone up from 2.5% to 22%. The younger generations now have elder parents asking why they aren't being taken on trips around the world like they supported their parents, and the answer is simple: no one can afford it, let alone afford to have children.

Anecdote, but for some people, the question is the opposite, why are people having children? I understand that humans have biological desire to reproduce or some people may have a sense of community that may create the desire to generate nest generations. But for people who don't feel these feelings, making babies sound like extraordinary amount of work for questionable gains. I personally can't ever see myself having children. Just my personal thoughts, this comment is not meant to include any judgement opinion.

MadSudaca 5y ago
It's an interesting idea. Some personalities will only have children if they're forced by circumstances. This was the norm back when contraceptives didn't exist, and cultures (probably out of necessity), structured themselves to compel people to have children. Another interesting idea, is that over the long-term, cultures that allow their members the freedom not to have children, may be overrun peacefully or forcefully by those that don't, or that at least, provide larger incentives to have children. Moreover, again over a long enough time horizon, people's who naturally don't have the inclination to have children, will disappear from the gene pool, making having children (all other things equals) the most common and culturally sensible option.
ineedasername 5y ago
Yes, I understand that can be one reason. I guess I'm curious if it's the reason. There can be negative economic incentives, cultural norms, lack of infrastructure to support larger child populations, etc. I also know there's a tendency in more developed (or at least wealthier) countries that as they become more prosperous their populations have fewer children. I'm sure there's multiple reasons, but in the US it can be difficult to have children and support them in a single income. Yet at early ages daycare alone can eat into a significant part of someone's takehome salary. That economic equation puts some downward pressure on the # of kids.
karpierz 5y ago
It's a 18 year long personal project where you get to build/train your own embodied AI, and then let it loose to wreak havoc on the world.

karpierz 5y ago

People are worked to death and the country has been in stagnation for 30 years. Time that could be spent dating is spent working and future prospects seem bleak.

School-Cotton 5y ago

Plenty of first-world countries have birth rates comparable to Japan’s or even lower. The unique thing about Japan among developed countries isn’t its low birth rate, but its lack of mass immigration.

bojo 5y ago

The younger generation is staring at their overworked and over-stressed parents asking themselves what the point is. More of them are taking less stable NEET jobs over big corporations in order to get more flexibility with regards to a work-life balance, and they aren't spending that extra time dating. Worse, I was watching the Japanese news (~6 years ago) which had a discussion where an economist pointed out that while wages have stagnated since the late 1980's, base taxes have gone up from 2.5% to 22%. The younger generations now have elder parents asking why they aren't being taken on trips around the world like they supported their parents, and the answer is simple: no one can afford it, let alone afford to have children.