- 14 Mar 2002
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A nation in fear. Why young Japanese are reluctant to tie the knot and have children.
And while money can't buy you love, it can still get you a spouse:
Source: Fear over future keeps Japanese from marrying, having children - The Asahi Shimbun
Many Japanese want to marry and have children but are hesitating to do so due to financial and other obstacles, two Asahi Shimbun surveys have found. Economic instability among young people and temporary workers is making many put off or abandon the idea. Despite wanting to get hitched, many Japanese also said they don't feel it is necessary for them to do so. Fifty per cent said one "should not necessarily marry" in a mail survey the Asahi conducted in November and December. Respondents who said people "should marry if possible," fell to 48 per cent from 59 per cent in an Asahi survey conducted in 2012. Younger women tended not to view marriage as essential. Seventy-eight per cent of female respondents aged 18 to 29 said people should not necessarily marry, whereas half of the women in their 50s to 60s felt that way.
Seventy-seven per cent, comprising 27 per cent who want to wed "as soon as possible" and 50 per cent who want to "someday," said they hope to marry in the future. While 75 per cent of men had the desire, 80 per cent of female respondents said they want to marry. But only 59 per cent of men and 64 per cent of women said they think they "will be able to marry at some point in the future." Lower-income earners tended to answer that they "cannot marry" and "do not have someone to date." Eighty-five per cent of female respondents said they take into account the type of employment of their would-be spouses, such as whether they are permanent or temporary employees. "Japanese women think stability is more important than their foreign counterparts," Yamada said.
And while money can't buy you love, it can still get you a spouse:
For 72 per cent of women, their partner's income is a "non-negotiable condition" for marriage. A potential marriage partner's annual income must be "at least 4 million yen ($36,900)," 41 per cent said. When combined with those who set targets of "6 million yen," "8 million yen" and "10 million yen," the ratio rises to 63 per cent. Meeting the women's "condition" for marriage is a difficult task for temporary workers. Male temporary employees earn just 2.29 million yen a year while male permanent workers earn 5.48 million yen, according to a 2017 National Tax Agency survey.
Source: Fear over future keeps Japanese from marrying, having children - The Asahi Shimbun