Why do Japanese people favor pets over children?

Let’s find out with GoEMON the reason why Japanese people prefer having pets over becoming parents! 

Currently, the Japanese birthrate has been on a rapid decline. According to the statistics provided by the Japan Pet Food Association, there are 23.3 million pets but only 17 million children under the age of 15. 

In Japanese culture, pets are also considered as family members. However, the issue of the declining birthrate has become one of the nation’s top issues as the number has been decreasing without any signs of rebounding back anytime soon. 

There are many reasons why Japanese people prefer not to have kids: 

1. Lack of interest in romantic relationships

The first reason why Japanese people do not want to have children is the lack of sexual desire. Many people nowadays find romantic relationships troublesome as they would interfere with their already busy lives. Thus, they prefer to be bounded to a partner and would rather spend time for themselves. 

Unstable employment and low income among men are also two other contributing factors to the disregard for sexual activities. 

2. Work culture 

Due to the rapid development of technology, work culture has become the more dominant aspect of the lives of most Japanese people. Many would devote themselves fully to their jobs to the point of even neglecting their personal lives outside of work. Additionally, the immense pressure and high expectations placed on them at work are so great they don’t even have time to care for themselves, let alone their families. Thus, due to the lack of time, many prefer to stay single. 

Taking care of children requires a significant amount of time and strength, and taking into consideration the short maternity leave in Japan, it is extremely difficult for a person to balance work and childcare. This is the reason why most mothers in Japan are housewives, as they would quit their jobs after having a child. As a result, rather than having a baby and having to quit their jobs, many women prefer to have pets instead. 

3. Cost of living

The cost of living in Japan is rather high, especially in urban areas where spendings such as rent, shopping, and food are extremely costly. Thus, the cost of raising a child also adds up to be a significant financial burden. High costs also make it difficult for people to bring up their children in the best conditions. And although also costly, the cost of taking care of pets is still relatively lower than that of raising a child. 

In this article, we have looked into some of the contributing reasons as to why more and more Japanese people are choosing to get a pet over bearing children. What are your opinions regarding this situation? Let us know in the comments down below!

Don’t forget to follow GoEMON for the latest updates on life in Japan!