Japan Has Low Birth Rate, Women: Do Not Blame Us
- U-Report
"Don't blame women for the low birth rate," tweeted Ayako, a 38-year-old Tokyo resident without children, who used the hashtag to call for recognition of "various choices" in life. She told AFP that Japan's traditional gender roles are central to the problem.
A 2021 government survey found that Japanese women spend around four times as long on chores and childcare as men, even with more husbands working from home. Ayako is outspoken online but said she finds herself "shunned" when she speaks about gender-related issues in real life and preferred not to give her surname.
"It's hard to raise your voice in the real world. I feel like women receive so much criticism just for expressing their opinions, I'm often surprised to find other people with the same views," she said on social media.
Experts believe the declining birth rate is a complex problem with numerous roots. Just 2.4 percent of births in Japan are outside of marriage, the lowest among the OECD group of 38 countries - a figure often attributed to conservative norms and financial structures that favor families.
Some economics point, arguing the country's long-stagnant growth discourages couples from having babies.
Policy changes such as expanding daycare provision can help boost birth rates, but the increase is often "temporary", said Takumi Fujinami of the Japan Research Institute.
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