this post was submitted on 01 Mar 2025
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[–] 0101100101@programming.dev 109 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (18 children)

This problem is not isolated to Japan. Countries all across the world are facing the same issue and have been for a number of years.

Create a shitty, miserable, society with no rights or support, and people do not want to bring children into it.... who'd guess?

The flannel has been wrung dry to the detriment of the working class; there is no where to go, no more water to squeeze from them. This is global society / capitalism falling apart.

[–] CheeseNoodle@lemmy.world 52 points 2 days ago

Exactly its not some mysterious problem no matter how much the government and media try to frame it as one, people of the age to have kids have no time for kids and no money for kids so no wonder they have no desire for kids.

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[–] Fedizen@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] Echofox@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Japanese workers get more days off than American workers.

Japan 26

USA 10

Japanese on average don't work longer than Americans (2017)

#39 United States 1,765.00

#43 Japan 1,738.36

Don't get me wrong, they have a crazy work culture, but it's worse in the USA.

[–] Xanza@lemm.ee 172 points 2 days ago (27 children)

"It's so expensive to have children in Japan that birthrate is further declining."

I swear to God these people couldn't connect the dots with a GPS.

[–] Clinicallydepressedpoochie@lemmy.world 53 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (14 children)

Surely if they just instill good Christian moral values like forced birth, racism, and tribal isolationism all their problems will be solved.

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[–] nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 43 points 2 days ago (6 children)

nothing about the idea of having children appeals to me in the slightest

[–] monomon@programming.dev 22 points 2 days ago (7 children)

Everyone has their opinions and circumstances, but anecdotally my time with children has been some of the happiest.

[–] nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 1 day ago

it's a good thing some people like kids because otherwise im not sure what happens

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[–] riodoro1@lemmy.world 37 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Oh no, not our out of control population growth fueled by resources running out as I type this comment and causing unspeakable damage to the biosphere of the planet.

Whatever will we do if our numbers fall below 7 billion.

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[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 340 points 2 days ago (2 children)

The biggest issue that no one ever wants to talk about is ....

... it's isn't about the QUANTITY of life

.... it's about the QUALITY of life.

If people are able to have a comfortable, stable and prosperous life, with plenty of their own free time to enjoy without worrying about losing everything then they'll make time and an effort to have a family and children.

If all our wealthy overlords ever want to do is squeeze every penny out of us all the time, then people will be less likely to want to have children.

[–] bassomitron@lemmy.world 180 points 2 days ago (26 children)

It also strongly correlates to women's rights and access to education. The more educated women are, the less likely they are to have a lot of kids.

https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/health/female-education-and-childbearing-closer-look-data

It's why you see a renewed attack on women in some developed countries, especially in the US.

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[–] gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 28 points 2 days ago (3 children)
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[–] Rookwood@lemmy.dbzer0.com 17 points 1 day ago (15 children)

I believe Japan has less inequality than the US. Not sure on that, but I think it's true. I think in this case we see work culture playing a role. The only country in the world with a worse work culture than the US is Japan. No one has time to even think about having kids when you are a company man there. It's similar in the US.

[–] mechoman444@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

It really is. In the US I mean. I work 6 days a week 9 am till whenever the fuck I'm done. Sometimes at 1pm and some nights I'm not home by 7pm.

Luckily I've negotiated less work orders on Saturday later in the morning so I have some kind of decline of work towards the end of the week. It took six years of constant work to get even that. Otherwise it's 7 work orders a day and I drive around 150 miles a day. (I work in household appliance repair. So I travel from home to home.)

It's a thankless job I get micromanaged in. The only advantage I have is that appliance repair techs are always in high demand because there's so few of us and I'm good at my job so my boss can't really fire me.

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[–] BetaBlake@lemmy.world 110 points 2 days ago (10 children)

But I bet they will continue to work people to the bone as a point of pride...like I wonder what could be contributing to this problem.

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[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 54 points 2 days ago (14 children)

If the Japanese want people to work 80 hour weeks (and go drinking with their boss every night) maybe they should make polyamorous marriage a thing. Kids are a lot easier to deal with if you have help.

[–] slaneesh_is_right@lemmy.org 29 points 2 days ago (1 children)

From what i heard from people and read online, i really don't understand how people even do that. Japanese work etiquette is bananas. But that aside, my job is somewhat high demand, but i draw the line at work hours. I work 42 hours a week and not a second longer. That opens up enough times for some hobbies, enough free time and everything. But if i had kids, most of that would be gone. So if you're a work horse, you're expected to give up everything, except work and raising kids.

[–] gamermanh@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 1 day ago

Literally: they don't go home, that's how

Hearing about salary men sleeping on the streets or in train stations is one thing, but when I actually finally saw them in person it broke my fucking brain

Imagine the homelessness issues of a major Californian city but instead of homeless people it's a bunch of clearly drunk dudes in suits who all vanish by morning

My wife cried hard because the realization hit that hard

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