2017 Volume 27 Issue 1 Pages 41-51
As for the decrease of birthrate in Japan, we have to consider two traits of Japanese people. One is that Japanese think marriage is an event of starting a new economic life instead of a result of romantic love. Another one is the strong consciousness of ashamed feeling. It leads people want to lead a decent life after marriage. Especially Japanese have strong thoughts that parents should not make their children feel miserable for their economic lives. So, Japanese people are reluctant to get married and have children without the condition that they are able to give their children better economic environments than they were given.
In high economic growth period (1955-1973), it was easy to get that condition because the economic situation was good. But via the Gulf Oil Crisis (1973) after 1990, young people's income has become unstable and polarized. The young who are not to give their children good economic environments have been increased. As the result, not only marriage rate has decreased, also romantic relationships have become inactive. And the numbers of children that spouses have also decreased after 2000.
