Support NeoGAF

[Kastrioti]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yil_cn_1gMo

Very interesting BBC documentary, about Japans birth rate crisis, which we've heard alot of lately.

Much better quality than the Vice documentary (in a variety of ways), and it goes from a Northern Japanese city thats population has decline from 100,000 to 10,000 and Japanese prisons (which are rarely shown) showing Japanese pensioners and old Japanese in prison for various crimes.

Also interviews Japanese professional woman and their opinion on the current situation, and of course two otakus who was obsessed with their LovePlus Nintendo DS girlfriends.

Interesting commentary all around and it offers ways to fix the problem, which is immigration from the Philippines and elsewhere. But as most know, the Japanese language and culture is very hard to immigrate to and thus lies the crux of the problem.

 

[border]

Sounds like an interesting topic. I wonder how soon we'll see this problem cascade down to other countries.

Isn't there already a negative birthrate among European countries and white Americans?

How much of this is legitimately about an aversion to sex, rather than an aversion to having children? I can imagine people wanting to have less kids (or no kids at all), but it's harder to imagine a world where significantly fewer people want sex at all.

 

[Kastrioti]

Sounds like an interesting topic. I wonder how soon we'll see this problem cascade down to other countries.

Isn't there already a negative birthrate among European countries and white Americans?

How much of this is legitimately about an aversion to sex, rather than an aversion to having children? I can imagine people wanting to have less kids (or no kids at all), but it's harder to imagine a world where significantly fewer people want sex at all.

The documentary brings up this very topic, and when your economy improves the overall birthrate drops.

However the problem with the Japanese birthrate compared to say the birthrate of the United Kingdom is the cultural problems with immigration due to language and other reasons.

At the end of the documentary they interview a Filipino nurse who is one of only 60 immigrant Nurses in the whole country of 120 Millions, and is a great nurse, he is still having trouble integrating into society due to language and cultural barriers.

 

[Valhelm]

Isn't there already a negative birthrate among European countries and white Americans?

As far as I know the birth rate is dropping in the US among non-Hispanic white people and African Americans. Couples are having less children on average, but the teen pregnancy rate is rather the same. This means that children of teenage single mothers are now a much larger percentage of the American population than they once were.

This will have very interesting social and economic implications in the near future, especially as teenage mothers rarely attend college or have more than one child.

 

[timetokill]

Guys, careful, or else you'll make Brian Ashcraft mad again http://kotaku.com/wrong-about-japan-and-sex-1450567428



:lol

 

[Avixph]

Guys, careful, or else you'll make Brian Ashcraft mad again http://kotaku.com/wrong-about-japan-and-sex-1450567428



:lol

Wow at those comments.

 

[Guess Who]

 

[triplestation]

Yo

Where can I get a rinko in the USA

 

[Imm0rt4l]

Maybe if they made normal porn it might help with the views on sex.

*dead

 

[Splash Wave]

I'm confused--why are these stories about Japan's birthrate all coming out at the same time? I read an article and The Guardian and watched that Vice documentary all within the last two weeks.

 

[Lazyslob]

What a fuckin' loser.

 

[zero shift]

This is just more proof that as economies develop further the concept of family needs to evolve. The nuclear family just doesn't cut it for everyone. Its hard keeping in sync when both mom and dad have careers.

 

[HovaHovito]

What a fuckin' loser.

Hes probably mentally ill, dont be so harsh

 

[Rezbit]

Watching now, thanks for the link. That part about Yubari is pretty sad

 

[akira28]

Hes probably mentally ill, dont be so harsh

Mentally chill. What if his wife is really annoying?

 

[HovaHovito]

Mentally chill. What if his wife is really annoying?

Divorce

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Why the sudden rush of this topic all of the sudden?

 

[WorldStar]

Hes probably mentally ill, dont be so harsh

based on that other huge ass thread about Japan and sex, seems like culture is a significant factor. not so sure he is mentally ill.

edit: this is the thread I'm talking about

Aoyama cites one man in his early 30s, a virgin, who can't get sexually aroused unless he watches female robots on a game similar to Power Rangers.

 

[Aztechnology]

I actually look at this with some optimism. I feel like there is a silver lining here, as hopefully it will push the Japanese to adapt if they want to survive.
I hope to see changes in Japan like
- Reduced Xenophobia
- Increased immigration
- Challenges to tradition gender roles
- Stigma of sexual relationships in a non marital capacity reduced.

Pressing issues like this allow for a new identity, and a cultural revolution.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

Is there more to this than gif stacking for effect? If this is actually from something share all relevant videos or info because it looks to be sad, but gold nonetheless.

It's from the documentary that this thread is about?

 

[sega4ever]

Divorce

a 3ds is cheaper

 

[Hazmat]

Watching now, thanks for the link. That part about Yubari is pretty sad

Also watching now, but I don't think the stuff about Yubari is sad. It was a town built around a coal mine and the mine was shut down. There are no babies there because the only source of good jobs was shut down 20 years ago and the young people moved away.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

I'm not sure what this desolate town has to do with people not having babies... It was abandoned because there was no work. There were only 20,000 people there even in 1990.

 

[Cipherr]

Lol at the game. Its a lady that tells you she needs to sleep? Sounds like someone took a pet sim game, and replaced the cats with women/men and called it a dating sim.

So ridiculous.

 

[Devolution]

Rinko doesn't judge him.

Y'all are some haters.

 

[isual]

interesting. will watch.

said she was going to meet a healthcare worker. first thing that popped into my mind, has to be filipino.

was right.

 

[AnathemicOne]

I watched the documentary and its very interesting. First let me say I enjoy japanese culture and a main aspect of that it is very unique identity compared to other cultures across the world, however like the documentary states this is part of the problem with the declining birthrate.

 

[WorldStar]

Lol at the game. Its a lady that tells you she needs to sleep? Sounds like someone took a pet sim game, and replaced the cats with women/men and called it a dating sim.

So ridiculous.

watch the video bro. It's some sort of dating "RPG" that does a lot more than telling you to sleep.

if you really don't feel like watching the whole thing, the source of the gif starts at about the 15 minute mark.

 

[rexor0717]

That Love + part. I can't.

 

[ЯAW]

Why all the population decrease stories are written about Japan? Doesn't SK have the very same problem? Ageing population, gender equality issues (worse then in Japan), small net migration and low birth rates. South Korea actually has lower fertility rate then Japan. Or is it just so they can show Otakus on screen?

 

[MasterOfPastures]

Why all the population decrease stories are written about Japan? Doesn't SK have the very same problem? Ageing population, gender equality issues (worse then in Japan), small net migration and low birth rates. South Korea actually has lower fertility rate then Japan. Or is it just so they can show Otakus on screen?

Japan was poised to take over the world in the 80's through economics, cultural exports and technology. Now.... they are slowly dying, while China grows.
A fallen giant is always an entertaining sight.

 

[You Are Viewtiful]

Why all the population decrease issues are written about Japan? Doesn't SK have the very same problem? Ageing population, small net migration and low birth rates. South Korea actually has lower fertility rate then Japan. Or is it just so they can show Otakus on screen?

South Korea's average age is much lower because their birth rate decline is more recent. This means their labour force is still growing at a very fast rate which keeps their economy stable. This is in contrast to Japan who is going to see its labour force decline in size, and thus its economic productivity.

South Korea average age: 37.9 years
Japan average age: 44.6 years

South Korea age structure: Under 15 (14.6%), 15-64 (73.1%), 65+ (12.3%)
Japan age structure: Under 15 (13.4%), 15-64 (61.8%), 65+ (24.8%)

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Why all the population decrease stories are written about Japan? Doesn't SK have the very same problem? Ageing population, gender equality issues (worse then in Japan), small net migration and low birth rates. South Korea actually has lower fertility rate then Japan. Or is it just so they can show Otakus on screen?

Japan is 208/224 according to the CIA.

South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan are all lower.

Countries like Italy, Greece, and Germany are all pretty close, too.

Hell, even the US and the UK are below the replacement rate. Lots of developed countries are.

 

[ЯAW]

South Korea's average age is much lower because their birth rate decline is more recent.

South Korea average age: 37.9 years
Japan average age: 44.6 years

South Korea age structure: Under 15 (14.6%), 15-64 (73.1%), 65+ (12.3%)
Japan age structure: Under 15 (13.4%), 15-64 (61.8%), 65+ (24.8%)

Ah, didn't even think of that, makes sense.

Japan is 208/224 according to the CIA.

South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan are all lower.

Countries like Italy, Greece, and Germany are all pretty close, too.

Hell, even the US and the UK are below the replacement rate. Lots of developed countries are.

Other countries are below replacement rate, but many times they take, or are in position to take in more immigrants. They don't have equally screwed-up age gap either (close but not equally). Not to mention Japan is in deep debts.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Japan was poised to take over the world in the 80's through economics, cultural exports and technology. Now.... they are slowly dying, while China grows.
A fallen giant is always an entertaining sight.

China is going to be in trouble on a much larger scale. They have a massive population right now, of course, but their birth rate is almost as bad as Japan (part of policy, of course). Going to be interesting to see how a much smaller number of young people (majority male) manages to take care of a billion old people. China will probably just develop Soylent Green or something.

Just got to the part where she's interviewing "young successful women." Hmm... they don't look very young to me. Also, considering they are all fluent in English, I could imagine their opinions might be a little more internationally colored.

 

[Aztechnology]

Several years... really....

 

[Dennis]

Guys, careful, or else you'll make Brian Ashcraft mad again http://kotaku.com/wrong-about-japan-and-sex-1450567428



:lol

lmao her face is killing me!

 

[MogCakes]

I've heard (anecdote!) the youth has no trouble having sex with each other, they just have that small problem of using birth control.

 

[shira]

Yo

Where can I get a rinko in the USA

Rinko doesn't judge him.

Y'all are some haters.

Tweeeeest





Spoilers: His waifu is a pillow

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Love-Plus-H...Sized-160cm-Great-Art-Must-Have-/380412649278

 

[GrizzNKev]

Just watched the whole thing, super interesting.

 

[PhoenixDark]

Hes probably mentally ill, dont be so harsh

No, he's probably not.

 

[firehawk12]

I watched this a while ago. The whole nerd/anime/otaku segment was so cringe worthy, not just for the wahjah, but also because it's the equivalent of standing outside of a Macdonalds and interviewing fat people about why America is so fat.

 

[BocoDragon]

If America didn't have immigration they'd be going and finding comic book nerd virgins and anti-women MRAs and using them as evidence that Americans aren't having enough sex.

 

[Ingueferroque]

This seems like they are just hamming it on... visiting abandoned school buildings and such. What exactly does that prove? You can find remote towns anywhere where most of the population is elderly, since the young people will go to the cities.

 

[Pachimari]

I gotta watch this one later.

Anyone know where I can find the Philippines documentary they are talking about at the end?

 

[Kincaido]

I would hella pick Rinko

 

[FreeMufasa]

In a JHS I taught at last year, they had 24 classes in the school in the 90s. 8 per grade. Now they have 10. 4 in the 3rd grade and 3 in the second and first

 

[Kotetsu534]

It seems to be a natural consequence of a developed economy that the birthrate, particularly among the educated and/or affluent, declines. Even in rich countries that aren't experiencing a population dropoff it is often down to large-scale immigration. I doubt that women's lack of presence in the job market helps though (because men are expected to shoulder the whole burden of providing and balk at it, well known high suicide rates for middle aged males etc. ).

 

[fizzelopeguss]

corporatist culture is poison, absolute poison.

 

[Kotetsu534]

Interesting article here quoting a Stanford professor which suggests I'm wrong in immediately diagnosing "rich, developed economies" as the only cause. I only have in depth UK stats to hand. Hmm.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...alling-around-the-world-in-a-word-television/