Single Japanese women don't want husbands

[Menydh]

Single Japanese women don't want husbands

Reuters
February 25, 2005

TOKYO (Reuters) - Most single Japanese women prefer not to marry and believe they can live happily alone for the rest of their life, a poll shows, casting another shadow on the future of a country plagued by a falling birthrate.

About seven in ten single Japanese women surveyed by the conservative Yomiuri newspaper said they would rather stay unwed.

"The result reflects a recent trend among single women who no longer attach social stigma to choosing the single life," the daily said on Friday.

Japan's government is struggling to stem a tumbling birthrate and keep the population from shrinking.

The country's fertility rate -- the average number of children born to a woman during her lifetime -- fell to 1.29 in 2003, the lowest in the post-World War Two period.

In Tokyo, the figure was a startling 0.9987.

Underscoring concerns that an ageing population may dent future growth in the world's second-largest economy, Japan said on Monday that its population grew only 0.05 percent in the year to October 1, its slowest increase in 54 years. Japan's population totalled an estimated 127,687,000 as of October 1, 2004.

A government think tank has forecast that Japan's population will peak in 2006 and start to shrink the following year.

If present trends persist, the population would fall to about 100.6 million in 2050.

Among oft-cited reasons for the falling birthrate are higher education levels, changing attitudes towards marriage and individual freedom, the high financial burden of childrearing, and the hardships involved for working women given long hours on the job and a persistent dearth of daycare.

The Yomiuri said 74 percent of surveyed men and women in their 20s said they believe women can be happy unmarried, while the rate dropped to 66 percent of those in their 30s and 58 percent in their 40s.

"The result depicted a tendency among younger generations to remain single, leading observers to the conclusion that the number of people who marry late will further increase and will lower the birthrate," the newspaper said.

Unless steps are taken, the shortage of children will create problems for Japan including damage to its economic growth prospects, higher social welfare costs for individuals, and even psychological problems from poorly socialised youth, said a government white paper released in October.



[source]

[Agrippa]

1.29 in 2003

Well, Japanese are Hedomatic now as well, the results are obvious...

[Menydh]

Hedomatic? I'll assume that you meant hedonic?

While reading this article what went through my mind was the possibility of the existance of movements towards the cultural, ethnic and spiritual preservation of the Japanese nation.

The one site that I came trhough is:

一水会 (Issuikai)

[Timo]

This report of Japanese women is just the result of the spread of culture which has been prevalent in many western countries. I have had friends which are girl (not 'girl-friends', in this sense), who expressed their desire not to marry or have children. They think it is the means to 'tie-down' a female into submission. I think this way of thinking is passed down in the 'pop-culture', especially that of pre-teen/teenage female pop-culture - they desire to be like the models and celebrities they admire, etc. This article also remains me of an article I read in Scandinavia of the decline of marriage amongst young women and men. It is truely a culture-war, and a way of decreasing offspring and our people, aswell as other peoples (such as the Japanese).

Truely sad news.

[Awar]

Everyone thinks they'll eventually become millionaire superstars.







Fools! Only I will become one!

[Zyklop]

Most of those women will have a very sad and lonely time when they are 40+, without children and their beauty fading away with each year.

[Menydh]

You are right there. Most women I know beyond their 30's start to look bitter and easily prone to depression and emotional instability. Extremely unhappy with their lifes.

[Nerthus]

What's wrong with tying down a female into submission?

On a serious note, I don't get why so many women admire celebrities and pop-culture. Their life is complete decadence. They open their legs whenever there is an opportunity to get some money or fame, change their partners like socks, go shopping or get a plastic surgery when they're bored, or show off at retarded festivals in ridiculous outfits. In the end, what do they get? How can someone actually be happy with such a lifestyle?
Leaving that aside, a lot of ordinary women aren't much more different. They are too preoccupied with shopping, fashion magazines and soap operas to want a family. In the end, it is their loss.

[Zyklop]

Have you also noticed how many childless women older than 30 own cats?

[Timo]

Originally Posted by Mynydd

You are right there. Most women I know beyond their 30's start to look bitter and easily prone to depression and emotional instability. Extremely unhappy with their lifes.

That is why all Feminists/Lesbians are bitter.

[Timo]

Originally Posted by Mimas

Have you also noticed how many childless women older than 30 own cats?

Yes, or very small dogs.
They become their "children" and pamper them as such.

[Menydh]

Originally Posted by Timo

That is why all Feminists/Lesbians are bitter.

On a BBC interview to a ex-feminist historical leader that I saw years ago, she admitted that their own extremism had taken them to make British men submissive and little mannish, a sad character that overtime British women had come to abhor and that made them prefer foreign immigrants over their own men.

She was making a call to stop it and to "regain their men". I'm afraid that it was already too late now to get those wimps to look something like a real man.

[Renwein]

lol...
You wouldn't be able to recall her name by any chance? I'm sure you're able to remember

Really, Japan is extremely overcrowded anyway, and it's not as if their population is being swamped with immigrants that are replacing them, so what's the problem?

[Agrippa]

Originally Posted by Mynydd

Hedomatic? I'll assume that you meant hedonic?

Originally Posted by Mynydd

Its a word used by many social scientists in German. Hedomaten = hedonistic-materialistic individuals.
This word fits best for most people of the younger generation in the "new Western culture" spread especially by the Neoliberals.

Really, Japan is extremely overcrowded anyway, and it's not as if their population is being swamped with immigrants that are replacing them, so what's the problem?

Because it will not stop without a real change of the "neoliberal system". Maybe the Japanese have a little bit more time than Europeans, and that might be their big advantage, same for Chinese, but on the long run, without a system chance, contraselection inside the group and foreign immigration will ruin them too.

[Menydh]

Originally Posted by Startide

lol...
You wouldn't be able to recall her name by any chance? I'm sure you're able to remember

No, sorry. It was a long time ago. All I remember is that she was presented as a historical figure of the feminist movement in Britain.

[Renwein]

Not Germaine Greer? (I know she's Australian but she's always on our TV's )
Nevermind, I guess I'll have to delve into historical figures of the feminist movement in Britain

Originally Posted by Agrippa

[center]
Because it will not stop without a real change of the "neoliberal system". Maybe the Japanese have a little bit more time than Europeans, and that might be their big advantage, same for Chinese, but on the long run, without a system chance, contraselection inside the group and foreign immigration will ruin them too.

It will stop eventually then because a change is some time inevitable (50 years, 150 years, whatever).

So all that matters from (our/their?) perspective then is whether JaPaN is still JaPaNeSe enough to still be erm ..Japan... well you get it ! Which they seem to be doing quite well at (compared to here ), although I seem to remember Kofi Annan etc. not being happy about their reluctance to accept many refugees! *ominous thunder, badguy theme plays*

Also, if 'bad things' (any number of social problems) happen in europe and immigration is shown not to 'cure' economy-slowing-down-by-oldageitis (and causes more problems?) then the japanese might even actively avoid it

[Agrippa]

As I said, there advantage is time.

Also, if 'bad things' (any number of