How Japan is aging. Population of Japan, its distribution throughout the country The population of Japan for a year is the number

At the moment, all and a half billion people live on earth, of which 127 million live in Japan. The modern land of the rising sun takes its roots from distant antiquity, therefore, many traditions have not changed for more than two and a half thousand years, however this does not prevent them from developing technologies that are ahead of the future, but what if you were born in Japan in the first place, your chances to live to a hundred years would increase significantly, more than 50,000 people live in Japan who have overcome the age-old bar, but at the same time you can die from overwork, the average Japanese work 10 hours a day, and over 30 years, thirty-eight thousand Japanese have died of fatigue. instead of your unique signatures, you will have a personalized seal "hanko", this seal is for every Japanese. Chances are, your favorite drink will be tea, but it's not just tea. and a whole tea ceremony, which can last several hours. Nowhere except China has tea acquired such importance in human life as in Japan. For over 12 centuries the Japanese have honored these traditions. But the most devoted to the traditions of the Japanese are sumo wrestlers! The rules and customs of this wrestling have not changed since its inception and are observed outside the gym. You will be calm like a meiwaku tank - the main principle of Japanese life is to inconvenience others with your behavior. for example: chewing loudly in a public place or when talking on the phone. The Japanese also smoke only in specially designated places so as not to force others to breathe smoke. the Japanese, being in hell itself, may not blink an eye, in Japan there are seven percent of all active volcanoes in the world and there are about one and a half thousand earthquakes a year. At the same time, the locals do not panic and do not resort to looting. This is how the Japanese respect not only themselves but also those around them. And for today these are all dear friends! subscribe to the channel, join the VKontakte group, press the bell and share your wishes in the comments. See you!

Japan has the tenth largest population in the world. As of the end of 2017, 126,236 thousand people live in the Land of the Rising Sun. Since local authorities restrict migration, Japan remains a single-ethnic country, 99% of the population of the state are Japanese. Only about 60-70 thousand migrants come to Japan annually, most of whom are from Korea and China.

The population of japan for 2018 is 127,207, 800 people (actual as of 03.06.2018)

In Japan, there is a preponderance of the female sex over the male. According to statistics, there are 95 men for every 100 women.

Since 2011, Japan has been experiencing a demographic crisis. Since there are only 1.4 children for every adult Japanese woman, the country's population is gradually decreasing. Today, one of the main tasks of the government's demographic policy is to bring the birth rate to 1.8 children per woman. However, this figure will also be less than the coefficient required for normal natural growth. In 2017, the number of Japanese residents decreased by more than 200,000 compared to the previous year. According to experts' forecasts, this trend will continue in the coming years. While maintaining the same rate of population decline by 2065, the number of Japanese residents will decrease by about a third. At the same time, the life expectancy of the Japanese continues to remain very high: 78.8 years for men and 85.6 years for women. Therefore, Japan is a rapidly aging country. According to 2017 statistics, only 13% of the Japanese population are children and adolescents under the age of 15. And almost a quarter of Japanese citizens are over 64. Such a division by age group suggests that Japan has serious problems with population growth. A similar situation develops in many developed countries, as a rule, it is solved at the expense of emigrants. So far, Japanese emigration policy does not allow for increasing the population in this way, but, most likely, in the coming years, a number of laws regarding emigration to Japan will be revised.

Population density of Japan

The average population density in Japan is 334 people. for 1 sq. km, however, the country is populated unevenly. Most of the Japanese (about 103 million people) live on the island of Honshu, namely, in its central part between Tokyo and Osaka. For comparison: the second most populous island of the Japanese archipelago - Hokkaido - is home to only 5.5 million people. And this despite the fact that Hokkaido is only half the size of Honshu. Other Japanese islands are even less populated. Every year, thousands of young people leave their home towns and villages and move to metropolitan areas. Therefore, in some regions, the population density can reach 5.5 thousand people per 1 sq. km, and in some areas 1 sq. km only 70 people live. Japan is characterized by a high level of urbanization, with a total of 11 millionaire cities. The most populous of them are:

• Tokyo (13.7 million people);
• Yokohama (3.7 million people);
• Osaka (2.6 million people);
• Nagoya (2.2 million people);
• Sapporo (1.9 million people).

* The value is calculated by linear interpolation, taking into account the two closest values \u200b\u200bto each other (Date-\u003e Population) (unofficially).
** Migration gain is included in the calculation of birth rate growth: Fertility \u003d Population + Mortality.
*** We do not have data on the population before 1950. The figures shown are based on a rough estimate using the function: population in 1900 \u003d 70% of the population in 1950.
United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2015). World Demographic Prospects: A 2015 Revision. These estimates and projections are based on the medium-term fertility option. Used with permission from the United Nations. Downloaded: 2015-11-15 (un.org)
City density map, generated by population.city using data provided to us by 1km.net website. Each circle represents a city with a population of over 5000. Link
Population density map was created according to instructions from daysleeperrr on reddig. Link1. Data source: Gridded Population of the World (GPW), 3rd online edition in Socioeconomic Data and Applications (SEDAC) at Columbia University.

The birth rate in the Land of the Rising Sun last year fell to its lowest level in all 120 years of observations. The demographic problems of Japan, and above all about the rapid aging of the Japanese and the decline in the birth rate, have been talked about for many years. However, now the point is that if the dangerous tendency cannot be reversed, the Japanese may disappear altogether as a nation.

SERGEY MANUKOV

The extinction of the Japanese is a long process, but the problems for the economy and finance associated with demography are rapidly increasing already now. First of all, this is a labor shortage and a huge burden on the country's financial system.

Both the government and Japanese business are looking for a way out of this difficult situation.

The authorities, for example, decided to change their migration policy and open doors for foreign workers. On the business side, Japanese businessmen are increasingly leaving retiring older people at work. At the same time, demographers suggest raising the retirement age.

But scientists and engineers believe that the Japanese do not need migrants, but an innovation boom and universal automation that will close the gaps in the labor market.

There are many opinions and solutions to the problem, but it is so complex and multifaceted that it is extremely difficult to find the right solution and minimize the negative consequences.

Record holders in diapers

The Japanese have already begun to get used to demographic records. Unfortunately, so far they are only negative. The next such anti-record became known at the very beginning of the summer. In 2017, the birth rate in the Land of the Rising Sun dropped to the lowest level ever recorded (since 1899). For the second year in a row, less than a million people are born. Mortality has reached a post-war maximum. Last year 946,060 children were born in Japan and 1,340,433 people died. As a result, the population dropped by an impressive 394,373 people.

The birth rate in Japan has always exceeded the death rate. In 2016, parity was established between them, and last year mortality took the lead. At the same time, the difference compared to the previous year increased by 3%.

Demographic scientists at the National Institute for Population and Social Security have concluded that if left alone, the Japanese are at risk of extinction as a nation. And although this will not happen tomorrow, but only on August 12, 3776, the very fact - albeit theoretical - of the possibility of such an outcome, of course, causes alarm on the Japanese islands.

Demographic projections are made in Japan every five years. Moreover, each new forecast is worse than the previous one. Scientists have been warning for several years that the current situation may end in economic and social catastrophe.

In 2017, the Statistics Bureau of Japan estimated that there were 126.714 million Japanese people. Demographers have calculated that

japan's population may decline to 100 million by 2053, and to 88 million by 2065. The number of Japanese under 14 is declining at a rate of 1 per 100 seconds.

"If the rate of decline in the number of children continues," says Hiroshi Yoshida, professor of economics at Tohoku University, "then the country will last celebrate Children's Day on May 5, 3011."

On the other hand, life expectancy, one of the highest on the planet, will continue to grow. Now, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan, both Japanese and Japanese women are second only to the residents of Hong Kong in this indicator.

In 2016, life expectancy for men in Japan rose to 80.98 years and for women to 87.14 years. It is projected that by 2065 it will reach 84.19 years for men and 90.93 years for women.

Every fourth inhabitant of the islands (26.7%) is over 65 years old. In the United States, this figure is much lower - 15%. The number of elderly people in the Land of the Rising Sun is constantly growing. So, last year it grew by 3.7% compared to 2011, and by 2050 it can reach almost 40%.

A special conversation about centenarians. In the fall of 2017, the number of Japanese over 90 years old for the first time exceeded 2 million.

Among 127 million Japanese, 67,824 are centenarians over 100 years old. In 2016, there were just over 65 thousand of them. Nowhere on the planet are there so many hundred-year-olds as in Japan. For every 100 thousand Japanese, there are 4.8 centenarians. In the USA, this figure is half as much - 2.2.

In 1963, 153 centenarians were recorded in Japan. By 1998, the number of 100-year-old Japanese had exceeded 10 thousand. A really sharp jump took place in recent years, when the number of centenarians in less than two decades increased fivefold! The 40 thousand mark (40 399) was crossed in 2009. Last year was the 47th consecutive year of growth in the number of people celebrating their 100th birthday.

The “fault” is the traditional Japanese diet low in fat, consisting mainly of rice, fish and vegetables. The long-liver club's growth in recent years has also been fueled by a highly developed and relatively inexpensive health care system and large pensions.

There is other evidence of Japan's rapidly aging: the number of adult diapers sold since 2011 exceeds the number of baby diapers. Moreover, the difference is constantly increasing.

Immediate bomb

The term "demographic time bomb", meaning a decline in fertility and an increase in life expectancy, did not appear yesterday, of course. Many countries face the problems of population decline or slowdown. Humanity is aging. In developed countries this happens much faster due to low fertility and high life expectancy. But nowhere is the population aging as fast as in Japan. The day is not far off when it will be rightfully renamed from the Land of the Rising Sun to the Land of the Old.

Population aging presents numerous challenges. The government has to spend more money on health care and pensions, which puts heavy pressure on the financial system. The number of young people serving the elderly is declining. The decline in the working-age population and taxpayers leads to economic stagnation.

“An aging population means more spending for the government, fewer pension and social safety nets, fewer people who serve the elderly, and, finally, fewer young workers,” explains the demographic time bomb, Harvard sociologist Mary Brinton.

For a long time it seemed that there was no reason for alarm.

In the twentieth century, the population of Japan grew rapidly. The numbers speak for themselves: in 1900 there were 44 million Japanese people, and in 2000 there were already 128 million.

The first problems began to appear already in the last third of the last century. They were then expressed mainly in the birth rate. In the 70s of the last century, Japanese women on average had 2.1 children, and now - 1.41, which is significantly lower than the level of simple reproduction of the population, equal to 2.08. In the United States, the birth rate is also a record low - 1.76, but it is still significantly higher than the Japanese.

In Russia, by the way, whose population as of January 1, 2018 was 146.877 million people, the birth rate is about the same as in America: it peaked at 1.777 in 2015, after which it began to decline and fell to 1.621 last year.

The birth rate in our country fell to its lowest over the past decade. Suffice it to say that Russian women gave birth to 1.69 million children in 2017, that is, 203 thousand less than in the previous year. In 2016, the population of Russia increased by 5.4 thousand people, and in the past decreased by 134.4 thousand.

The Shinzo Abe government has set the goal of raising the birth rate to 1.8 by 2025 in order to stabilize the population by 2060 at 100 million. However, this will be difficult to do. Demographic bombs are difficult to defuse because they take decades to build.

In Japan, this process began shortly after the end of World War II. In the early 50s of the last century, Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida (1946-1947, 1948-1954) considered the main task of economic recovery. With his blessing, a kind of social contract between employers and workers was established in the country: the former pledged to provide the latter with jobs, and the latter, in exchange for this, remained faithful to the former, that is, did not change their place of work. Economists believe that Yoshida is at the origin of the "Japanese miracle" that made Japan the third largest economy on the planet.

But the rapid economic development has not been without negative consequences. In the early 50s, the birth rate in the Land of the Rising Sun, according to the UN, was at 2.75. Business demanded more and more dedication from the Japanese. It is not surprising that in the second half of the last century, a decline in the birth rate began, which continues to this day. According to one of the most gloomy forecasts, the birth rate will continue to decline and by the middle of this century will drop to 1.35.

Much has changed now. Including the long-standing practice of working in one place. Today, more and more Japanese people are moving to other companies in search of more attractive working conditions and higher wages. The number of such "defectors" has been growing for the seventh year in a row. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan, 3.11 million people changed jobs last year. A record number of "defectors" (29.7%) have increased their salaries in a new place, according to Recruit Career Co., more than 10%.

You can and cry

The Japanese authorities and politicians are making considerable efforts to solve the demographic problem, and some of the efforts may seem strange.

Thirteen prominent male politicians, including Eikei Suzuki, Governor of Mie Prefecture, for example, recently pledged support for the We Love Children! The project was launched in 2016 with the aim of improving public attitudes towards ... crying babies in public places. Ultimately, the authors of the initiative hope, this will lead to an increase in the birth rate.

"There is still an atmosphere in Japanese society that makes the parents of babies crying in public to feel guilty about those around them," Eikei Suzuki explained to the Kyodo News agency. "We want to change that."

The attitude towards child noise in some parts of the country is so intolerant that local authorities, for the sake of peace of mind of the townspeople, do not want to set up parks or build nurseries and kindergartens.

It is not surprising that there is a shortage of preschool institutions in the Land of the Rising Sun. For example, in April 2017 there were 26,081 people in the queue for state kindergartens and nurseries. Many Japanese with small children believe that it is more difficult to place a child in such an institution than to enter a prestigious university. The high demand for female workers of such institutions is not surprising either. By the way, recently one of them publicly apologized for ... getting pregnant earlier than the term set for her by the director.

The politicians appealed to the owners of restaurants, cafes, shops and other public institutions with a request to post announcements at the entrance with something like this: "We can cry here."

Another measure of the Abe government, indirectly aimed at increasing the birth rate, is the reduction of the age of majority planned for 2022 from 20 to 18 years, the first, by the way, in 140 years. It means, for example, that Japanese and Japanese women can marry and get married two years earlier, take out loans, etc.

However, it is not legal to legally celebrate the coming of age on Adulthood Day, celebrated on the second Monday of January. Decrease in age does not apply to gambling, smoking and alcoholic beverages.

Changing the age of majority is intended to serve not only to increase the birth rate, but also to activate young people in the life of society and the economy. As a reminder, in 2015 Tokyo lowered the voting age from 20 to 18. This allowed 2.4 million young Japanese people between the ages of 18 and 20 to take part in elections to the upper house of parliament, the House of Councilors of Japan, in 2016.

Free yourself from the chain

“They are a treasure,” Shinichiro Tsukada, owner of a small construction company that specializes in plastering, told Reuters recently. “Our population is aging and workers are increasingly difficult to find. There are not enough workers, so it is more and more difficult to engage in construction. We have no other choice, we need to open doors for them. "

Mr. Tsukada speaks of 22 workers, which make up half of his company’s staff, who have Chinese and Vietnamese passports rather than Japanese. Without them, he would have had to close the firm.

The Japanese authorities approach the problem of foreign workers in the country very carefully, because it is a very sensitive and sensitive topic for the Japanese. There are few foreigners in the Land of the Rising Sun. Any proposal to open borders for migrants from other countries in order to replenish the decline in the able-bodied population has always caused extremely sharp criticism in society.

The origins of this attitude can be found in the distant history, when Japan was closed to all gaijin (foreigners) and practiced sakoku ("country on a chain") - a policy of self-isolation.

In 1853, the American Commander Perry had to "discover" the Land of the Rising Sun. Threatening to fire at Kyoto, then the capital of the empire, he forced the Japanese to sign a trade agreement with America. The US example was soon followed by France, Britain and Russia.

However, times, and with them the attitude of Japanese society towards foreigners, albeit very slowly, are still changing. The already large demand for workers is increasing as the 2020 Olympics draw near, which will be held in Japan and for which many sports and infrastructure facilities need to be built.

Despite the changes in the attitude of the Japanese towards foreigners, noticeable even to the naked eye, wariness remains. The Japanese continue to fear that the influx of workers from abroad will disrupt the harmony of society, exacerbate competition in the labor market and negatively affect historical traditions.

“I think we will continue to need foreign workers,” summed up the fears of our compatriots, a 28-year-old employee of the news agency Hiroki Kojima, “but when I say“ migration, ”I immediately feel anxiety for all the good things that exist in Japan. I am afraid that they will undermine public security and stability in the country. "

In June this year, the Japanese government announced the introduction of work permits for foreigners for a period of five years. At this stage, they extend to agriculture, construction, hospitality, elderly care and shipbuilding. If the experiment is successful, the list of economic sectors will be expanded.

Tokyo intends to allow foreign workers to stay in the country if they pass certain tests, primarily for knowledge of the Japanese language, and even bring family members to Japan.

“We have reached a point beyond which, if we do not start thinking about migration, the future of Japan will be in danger,” said Toshihiro Menzu, executive director of the Japan Center for International Exchange.

The number of foreigners in Japan has been steadily growing in recent years and reached 1.28 million last year, that is, approximately 1% of the country's population. Over the past ten years, it has increased 2.5 times (486 thousand in 2008), and compared to 2016 it has grown by 18%.

The biggest gains were in two categories: students, who are allowed to work 28 hours a week, and foreigners who are in Japan on a technical exchange program, which is designed for five years and after which they must return home. This program is designed to prepare workers from countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines so that they can return to their homeland and apply the knowledge and skills learned in Japan. In practice, however, it works more for the benefit of Japanese businessmen who fill jobs with foreigners.

As of October 2017, about 258 thousand foreigners worked in Japan, which is 22% more than in 2016. Most of them are Chinese - 29%.

According to a 2017 poll by radio station NHK, 51% of respondents believe that restrictions on foreign workers should remain at their current levels. In 1992, there were slightly more such people - 56%.

The Japanese fears of foreigners are well documented in the bestselling Future Timeline (2017). The author of the book, journalist of the conservative newspaper Sankei Masashi Kawai, believes that Japan should not weaken immigration laws, but become a more compact and more efficient country.

"The reception of a huge number of migrants has led Europe to such dire consequences as terrorist attacks, unrest and the growth of anti-migrant movements," he writes. "Opening borders to foreigners in Japan will split our society and lead to similar consequences."

There are many opponents of the open door policy in the Land of the Rising Sun, but all Japanese understand that they cannot do without foreigners. The need for foreign workers is perhaps especially strong in the example of Japanese agriculture. Many farmers simply cannot find workers among the Japanese.

54-year-old Souji Sawaura's farm in Gunma Prefecture, for example, employs 24 Thais and Vietnamese. Sawaura - for issuing permits for foreigners to work in agriculture, but he emphasizes that only skilled workers should be allowed into Japan so that the history of the Brazilian Japanese, who came in the 90s of the last century and in the 2000s for special workers permissions. The overwhelming majority of them did not have sufficient qualifications. They lost their jobs during the 2008 crisis and were forced to return to their historical homeland.

The government does not intend to open its doors wide to foreigners, reassuring the worried compatriots of Shinzo Abe. Refugee statistics confirm the Prime Minister's words. In 2013, Tokyo agreed to accept six refugees, in 2014 - 11, and in 2015 - 27 people! In 2016, 10,901 people applied to the government to be allowed to live in Japan. 28 of them received refugee status.

Last year, the number of requests for refugee status almost doubled to 19,628, but about one in a thousand was lucky. 20 applicants became refugees. Basically, neighbors from Southeast Asia want to live in Japan. The share of residents of hot spots (Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Congo and South Sudan) in total amounted to only 1% of applications, the number of which, by the way, compared to 2010, increased by 1600%.

In Japan, they are just beginning to understand another big problem, which is already well known in Europe: how difficult it is for foreigners to integrate into Japanese society. One of the biggest hurdles, according to Keizo Yamawaki, a professor at the Metropolitan University of Meiji and migration expert, is language. The government hopes to solve this problem by opening courses for learning Japanese.

Wang Jinbao, 48, a plasterer from China, who has been with Tsukada's company for six years, says he would happily stay with his family in Japan, where he can earn double what he earns back home. He is confident that his knowledge of the Japanese language helped him adapt to the country and make friends.

Distinctive feature

It is much more difficult to change the attitude of a whole generation of young Japanese towards work and life in general. When it comes to fertility, the first thing to talk about is sex. Young Japanese and Japanese women have big problems with him.

The floors in Japan are not converging, but diverging more and more. According to a 2016 study by the National Population Institute, 70% of Japanese people and 60% of Japanese women live without partners or partners. At the same time, almost 42% of men and 44.2% of women do not hide that they are not interested in sex and even feel disgust at it. In 2010, 36.2% of Japanese and 38.7% of Japanese women were cool about sex.

“The main reason for the decline in the birth rate in Japan, without a doubt, is the reluctance of the Japanese to have sex, - said the head of the Japan Planned Parenthood Association Kunyo Kitamura. - If you add to this the increase in the elderly population, then there is a serious demographic imbalance.

The increase in the number of married couples who are officially recognized as asexual is also very alarming. This means they have sex less than once a month. ”

Politicians are fighting to increase the birth rate as best they can. For example, Toshihiro Nikai, Secretary General of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, recently called childless Japanese selfish and called on Japanese women to have children and contribute to the country's prosperity.

“Before the war, during it and after, no one said that it is better not to have children, because they are too much trouble,” said Nikay. “Today, people are dominated by selfish thoughts. Many people think that it is better without children, but many children are needed for everyone to be happy. Only in this case our country will prosper and develop ”.

Koichi Hagiuda, a close friend and assistant to Prime Minister Abe, also believes that women are obliged to bear children. MP Canyi Kato believes that every family should have at least three children.

But there are such politicians, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seems to be one of them, who believe that marriage and children are a private affair of every Japanese. By the way, Abe's position did not surprise anyone, because he himself has no children.

Overcrowded electric trains

The lack of sex in Japan is rapidly turning into the same hallmark of the country as sumo, sake or Fujiyama. However, the low interest in sex is simply explained. The national characteristics of the Japanese have nothing to do with it. Every year young people devote more and more time to work and less to social life. They work harder because they want to survive economically.

The Japanese work an average of 16 hours a day. Japanese women on this indicator are quickly catching up with men. Some families have enough strength and perseverance to deal with the problems arising from such a life in family life, but most go with the flow and push family life to a second or even more distant place.

Forced diligence at work leads to karoshi. This word in Japanese means "death from overexertion at work", or more simply - multiple suicides.

In October 2016, scientists examined the working conditions of the Japanese. As a result of a survey of 10 thousand people, it turned out that more than 20% of them work at least 80 hours a month. For comparison: in the United States, 16.4% of the working-age population work very long hours, their average working week is 49 hours.

Overtime work explains the surprising fact of Japanese life for foreigners: the last trains are almost everywhere overcrowded. The Japanese return home late to sleep for a few hours, and in the morning they rush to work again.

But there comes a time when the duration of work does not turn into a volume of additional production, that is, processing after a certain point loses its effect. The government convinces the Japanese of the need for rest. The authorities are promoting timely resignation from work and at least one day off per week.

This decision was made after the suicide in 2015 of 24-year-old Matsuri Takahashi, who gained 105 hours of overtime in one month. The terrible tension led the girl to jump out of the window of her dorm room. There are dozens of such cases.

Demographers and economists are alarmed by the decline in the ratio between the working population and retirees. In 2015, it was 2.1, and by 2065, according to forecasts, there will be 1.2 Japanese working people for every pensioner over 65. This is very small.

With the decrease in the number of employees per pensioner, the burden on the pension system is growing, which is already bursting at all seams. There is no talk of raising the retirement age, which in Japan is 65 for both men and women. The authorities are well aware of how unpopular such measures are. In addition, pensioners can work longer without a formal increase in the retirement age. This allows not only to reduce the burden on the pension system, but also somewhat reduces the labor shortage.

Business is energetically helping the government in this. More and more companies are allowing their employees to continue working after retirement. The government encourages employers to leave pensioners with all kinds of subsidies and benefits.

In 2016, almost every fourth pensioner (23%) continued to work. There are nowhere more working retirees in the G7 than in Japan. In the United States, for example, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), 19% of working retirees.

Another solution to the problem of labor shortages, which is supported by opponents of admitting foreigners to Japan, is the automation and robotization of industrial production.

Old robbers

The aging of the Japanese has brought about major changes in their psychology and social life. Take, for example, respect for the elderly, which has been weakening almost every day lately.

In Japanese, the word ubasute has existed for many centuries, which can be translated as "get rid of the grandmother." Now it is returning to everyday life.

Nowadays, it means that the Japanese take their elderly relatives to hospitals or special institutions, that is, they actually abandon them. And not because they became heartless egoists overnight. The main reason is that young people are unable to support the elderly.

There are, of course, other reasons. With the increase in life expectancy, children who have to take care of decrepit old people, themselves more and more often over 70, often themselves need to be cared for.

So far, the trend cannot be called national. According to social workers, last year the number of such cases was several hundred. It is alarming, however, that it has been steadily growing in recent years.

One of the consequences of ubasute is another problem: as a result of the rapid growth in the number of elderly inmates, prisons are effectively turning into nursing homes. Almost one in five crimes or delinquency in the country is committed by older people. For the most part, old people steal. Most often in stores.

Robber old men differ from their younger colleagues in that they prefer practical things to luxury goods - food and clothing. Almost 70% of theft of retirees is for food. Elderly inmates give the guards a lot of trouble. They have to be bathed and dressed.

According to experts, the conditions of detention in Japanese prisons are too good to hope that, when released, yesterday's prisoners will take up their minds. After their release, they are usually looked after by young relatives, but recently ubasute has significantly influenced this tradition as well. Increasingly, expenses and even simple loneliness are forcing old people to return to prison.

It is not difficult to go to jail: for stealing a sandwich in a store, you are entitled to two years in prison. The old robbers are quite happy with such a severe punishment. In addition to the bars on the windows, they receive free roof over their heads and free meals for two years.

Six years ago, the number of thieves over 65 detained in Tokyo for the first time exceeded the number of young thieves. Law enforcement officers detained 3321 pensioners for theft. The teenagers were caught stealing 3195. Almost every fourth thief in the capital was a pensioner. The same picture is observed throughout the country.

In 1989, when age statistics for theft began in Japan, only 336 elderly thieves were arrested in Tokyo. The psychological, as it is now customary to say, level - 10 thousand on a national scale - was overcome in 1999, 20 thousand - in 2004, and 30 thousand - in 2013.

The number of Japanese caring for the elderly is declining, while the number of elderly Japanese forced to live alone is constantly increasing. Sometimes apartments become crypts for them. Neighbors most often find out about the death of old people by the smell of decay. Elderly Japanese negotiate with neighbors about signs by which they can find out that they are no longer alive. For example, if the windows are closed with curtains in the morning, then the door must be broken.

“If my windows are closed,” 91-year-old Chieko Ito told the New York Times, interested in how Japanese centenarians live, “then I’m dead.”

The Japanese are amazing people with an unusual outlook and a rich inner world. The population was unlucky with the country's geographic location and sometimes unbearable natural conditions, but the difficulties made them only stronger and more resourceful. The Japanese people never tire of surprising the world with their color and a touch of madness. For a European, the Japanese will forever remain a mystery and mystery. You never tire of wondering at their oddities. Who are they, these inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun? Let's try to figure it out together.

National composition of the country

The majority of the population of Japan is a monocultural and homogeneous group of purebred Japanese. Only 1% of the country's inhabitants (1.56 million) are representatives of the Korean diaspora and workers from Asia. As for Americans and Europeans, they live in Japan, but on a non-permanent basis.

A small part of the Ryukyus and Ainu aborigines live on the islands. There is also a separate Burakumin community, which differs from the Japanese society in its cultural and everyday features.

Residents communicate mainly in Japanese, English is additionally studied in schools. It is interesting that the locals consider their native speech very difficult, therefore they respect a foreigner who knows at least.

Population and density of Japan

The country ranks 7th in terms of population after China, India, Brazil, Indonesia, the United States and Russia. According to UN estimates, at the beginning of this year, the population of Japan was more than 126.5 million people. Of these, 48.7% are men, 51.3% are women. More than 31 thousand are migrants. Over the past year, 1,269,374 people died, and 1,050,211 were born. Statistics showed that the annual growth rate decreased by 0.12%. Over the past ten years, the population has remained virtually unchanged. The reason for this phenomenon is explained by the decline in the birth rate and the low mortality rate of residents.

But thanks to immigrants, the number of people has slightly increased, although foreigners are poorly welcomed by the locals due to ignorance of Japanese culture and violation of current laws and regulations.

Japan is a fairly densely populated country. The average population density is 334 people / km2. But in the north of Hokkaido, less than 70 people / km2 live, and in the coastal areas - more than 500 people / km2.

The level of urbanization is impressive: 80% of the inhabitants live in cities. There are 655 large cities in Japan, of which 11 have a population of over a million.

Most of the people are employed in the service sector, only 13% work in industry and 20% in the agricultural sector. Labor resources are characterized by a fairly high level of qualifications. The Japanese do not know how to rest at all, they work on weekends and on holidays, they do everything a lot and efficiently. Interesting: would such an approach to work be effective for the economies of European countries? It is still a secret.

Difficult demographic situation

In the recent past, the natural increase in population was very high, but after a few years, as a result of political reforms aimed at reducing the birth rate, the population of Japan has dropped sharply. Due to improved living conditions and a noticeable leap in the development of medicine, the mortality rate has dropped significantly. Only three deaths are recorded per 1000 newborns. This is a good indicator.

The average age of residents is 44.6 years. The average life expectancy for men is 77 years, for women - 85 years. These are incredible numbers! But in the country there are only 13% of children and adolescents, 64% of people from 15 to 65 years old and 28% of old people. That is, the pension dependency ratio is as much as 35.7%. The question arises: why are young families unable to reproduce themselves in full? At this rate, the population of Japan is projected to decline to 97 million by 2050. It is unlikely that the Japanese authorities will allow such a situation. But with the current view of life, politicians have to work hard to stimulate population growth.

Taking a look at Japanese demographic changes, I would like to conclude that the modern Japanese woman often has no time to give birth. It takes her more years, as a result of which she marries late. In addition, financial obstacles lie in wait, such as the high cost of raising children. Many young girls and boys have recently decided not to marry at all. And this decision is followed by the refusal of childbirth, since the Japanese do not welcome extramarital affairs.

Indeed, the able-bodied population chose a career over marriage. In Japanese society, it is quite difficult to combine work and raising children. An interesting fact is that both sexes have doubts about family and marital values. 61% of unmarried men and 49.5% of unmarried women between the ages of 18 and 35 did not have a sexual partner. Most didn't even want that. Perhaps, given this view, the population of Japan will not increase anytime soon.

Local authorities are concerned about the state of demography in the country, because after a while, if everything develops at the current pace, the workforce will be greatly reduced.

Religious life of the Japanese

In Japan, there are different religious trends that have developed over the centuries. The main currents are Shinto, Indian Buddhism and Christianity. Since the beginning of the 19th century, new Japanese sects have appeared on the basis of folk beliefs and rituals.

More than 200 thousand religious institutions and organizations operate in the country. According to statistics, the number of believers is twice that of the population of Japan. There is an explanation for this. Many inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun are adherents at once, whose existence excludes the slightest aggression towards a person. All beliefs are characterized by indulgence, love for one's neighbor, respect for family and ancestors, respect for nature, close interaction between man and God, purification, and the unity of religious rituals with everyday life.

Japanese longevity secrets

The high life expectancy of the Japanese population is due to a proper diet and a developed healthcare system.

The Japanese menu includes cereals, soy and seafood. For breakfast, lunch and dinner, the main ingredient is, of course, rice. And its combination with fish wrapped in seaweed is a world-famous delicacy called sushi.

Fruits in the Land of the Rising Sun are very expensive: for two dollars you can buy just one apple or apricot. But, nevertheless, they are eaten in large quantities and exclusively fresh.

Also, the inhabitants of Japan adore greens, vegetables, especially eggplant, spinach, bamboo shoots, broccoli. Eat food only for the season.

It may seem that the variety of food in Japan is very scarce, but a Japanese family eats about 50 different dishes per week, while a European family only eats 30.

The Japanese, in addition to all of the above, move a lot, do physical exercises. Naturally, the result was not long in coming. Only three out of 100 Japanese people are overweight. For comparison: in America, as many as 34% of the population suffers from this disease.

That's the whole secret of Japanese longevity. Following these principles, we will be able to boast of good health.

Unusual Japanese traditions

The population of Japan follows a huge amount. The life of a Japanese is literally permeated with a network of customs and ceremonies, this is especially evident in communication between people.

The Japanese greet them not by shaking hands, but by a slight bow, the depth and duration of which should correspond to the social status of the person they meet. During a conversation, the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun begin their speech with an apology, as if for wasting the interlocutor's time. And they always smile.

Before going out on the street, the Japanese must take a bath, in general they are obsessed with personal hygiene. They even go to the toilet in special slippers so as not to spread dirt around the house.

Even in Japan, there is a cult of food. They can talk about food for hours, while smacking their lips deliciously. It is considered ignorance not to tell the hostess “Very tasty”. And perhaps the best souvenir will be a new yummy.

Interestingly, a tip for a Japanese person is perceived as an obscene gesture. After paying the appointed price for the service, the visitor remains on an equal footing with the workers of the institution. Otherwise, he will show his superiority, which amounts to an insult.

It is unacceptable to enter the house with shoes on. There is a special place for outdoor shoes, which is tantamount to a disaster, because it is dirty.

In general, Japan is a country of naive, responsive and very intelligent people. Many of their actions on the part of a European defy common sense, but thanks to such actions, the people of Japan will always retain great interest in themselves.

The Japanese are quite sociable, but you also need to be able to competently maintain a conversation. To do this, take our basic course "" and speak Japanese!

What interesting or funny facts do you know about Japanese people? Perhaps you noticed something in communicating with the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun? Please share.