How the Japanese Have Changed over 45 Years [Part I]
From the 10th Survey on Japanese Value Orientations
2019 Volume 69 Issue 5 Pages 2-37
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2019 Volume 69 Issue 5 Pages 2-37
NHK has been conducting the “Survey on Japanese Value Orientations” every five years since 1973 to longitudinally track the Japanese views on society, economy, daily lives, and other wide range of topics by repeatedly using same questions and survey method. This paper reports the findings from the latest survey, focusing on the results regarding family and gender relations such as views on marriage, premarital sex, women’s jobs, and education for daughters.“Family and gender relations” is the area that has seen the largest changes in the “Survey on Japanese Value Orientations.” The changes show the following characteristics. (1) In general, people’s attitudes are changing towards respecting gender equality and individual freedom. (2) Many topics change towards the same directions; some keep an upward trend, and others downward. (3) Some questions show the changes in responses due to the alternation of generations, and others are largely influenced by the times.People’s view on family and gender relations have changed significantly over the past 45 years, but views on some topics have changed little since around 2000.
