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Japan: Demographic Crisis
 
PIIS032150750028998-9-1
DOI10.31857/S032150750028998-9
Publication type Article
Status Published
Authors
Larisa V. Zhilina 
Occupation: Associate Professor, Department of Philology, Translation Studies and Media Communications, F.M. Dostoevsky Omsk State University
Affiliation: Dostoevsky Omsk State University
Address: Russian Federation, Omsk
Journal nameAsia and Africa Today
EditionIssue 12
Pages33-40
Abstract

Japan has been adversely affected by the COVID-19pandemic which has had a negative impact on the demographics in the country in dramatic ways : the number of births in Japan has been on a downtrend since the government started compiling statistics on births in 1899 and this downtrend is expected to continue for years to come.

On the one hand, the negative trend of declining fertility was laid down long before the pandemic by persistent features will continue including the gendered division of labor, rising rates of labor participation among women, breaking balance of work and life that ultimately has led to decrease of marriage rates and has caused women to delay plans to become pregnant due to economic reasons. On other hand, social distancing, changes brought upon by the prolonged coronavirus pandemic has continued to cause women to permanent stress which, in turn, also does not contribute to the solution of the fertility issue.

For Japanese society, challenges which were caused by COVID-19pandemic may be an opportunity to re-imagine the larger role men play in their families (apart from work for family financial supporting) and this rethinking, with the adoption of certain decisions by the Japanese government, is likely to stop this negative trend in demography.

KeywordsJapan, women, fertility decline, COVID-19 pandemic, demographic crisis
Received29.07.2023
Publication date19.12.2023
Number of characters22850
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