Japanese view of unmarried, childless people of 40+

[blippy]

I was recently reading an article about so-called 窶伉青食窶冕ﾅｽq ('soushoku danshi'/ 'grass eating men') and it led me to wondering about something.
Soushoku danshi are on the rise, it would appear, but they seem to be classed as people beneath the age of 40. But what about if a Japanese man or woman is over 40, never been married, and with no children, is this unusual? How is this viewed in Japan?
In North America and the UK and Australia, to be 40+ and to never be married, and childless, is becoming increasingly normal for a growing proportion of society. Thus, it is not taken to mean anything specific (i.e. social outcast, commitment-phobic, homosexual, non-conformist etc). But I expect in Japan things are different?
Would appreciate anyone's views on this, thanks!

 

[YukiAnne]

Actually, with Japan having one of the statistically oldest populations in the world, and with the extreme emphasis in Japan on dedication to one's job (for many, the company encompasses their entire social circle), there is quite a large number of never-married Japanese over the age of forty. It's not a rare case at all these days. The majority of my coworkers and adult students are in this category.

I think it is not taken to mean anything specific here either.