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The2ndWheel

(7,947 posts)

3. There's a downside to everything

Thu Jul 2, 2015, 10:35 AM

Jul 2015

One of them in this case being, every institution we've built is based on the idea of more people. More people, pooling resources, so that everyone's responsibility is smaller. More customers, more business, more jobs. More jobs, more taxes, more money for government to function. We, as in any given human society, don't have much practice with a decreasing population.

That's the other side. While Japan's population may actually be physically declining, the human population is still adding more people than we're losing.

I'm going to guess that the people in charge, in Japan, or other countries, don't actually want to see a declining population. Our economy isn't good for the planet either, but we still want stimulus packages of all kinds to get it going again.

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Japan�s population decline the steepest on record [View all] yuiyoshida Jul 2015 OP

Great for Japan and planet. Wish this was true for other countries on point Jul 2015 #1

There's a downside to everything The2ndWheel Jul 2015 #3

I agree. Current business / power models depend on growth. That has to change on point Jul 2015 #4

I am stymied as to how the 10% think there will be "consumers" dixiegrrrrl Jul 2015 #11

The key word is sustainability TexasBushwhacker Jul 2015 #76

Absolutely! tabasco Jul 2015 #25

Much less FLPanhandle Jul 2015 #28

:) kkilicer Jul 2015 #51

I agree & maybe they'll stop killing so many whales for "research" wordpix Jul 2015 #78

I wonder if they're worried about birth defects from the Fukushima radiation. Beauregard Jul 2015 #2

It's more of a case of Japanese women wanting to remain single Art_from_Ark Jul 2015 #17

You base this on "a couple dozen Japanese women"? Beauregard Jul 2015 #24

This is an opinion board. former9thward Jul 2015 #26

Actually, I base that on 35+ years of being involved with Japan Art_from_Ark Jul 2015 #32

And I back him up based on my 30+ years of the same. Bonobo Jul 2015 #34

I don't have 30 years yuiyoshida Jul 2015 #59

Sounds like my son's experience, living/working in Tokyo for the past 2 years. fed-up Jul 2015 #64

It's called the "Demographic Transition" and is used in population projections and policy planning. bananas Jul 2015 #37

Here's a pretty good article about what's going on over there Renew Deal Jul 2015 #55

Thanks for the article, my son has been living in Tokyo for the past two years fed-up Jul 2015 #63

I think this is going to become more common the world over. smirkymonkey Jul 2015 #33

The same is true here in Korea davidpdx Jul 2015 #41

This is a result of economic depression. fasttense Jul 2015 #5

I don't think that's the case here in Japan Art_from_Ark Jul 2015 #18

Really? fasttense Jul 2015 #27

Economic concerns are not the main problem for men Art_from_Ark Jul 2015 #31

An interesting observation about sexless marriages after kids davidpdx Jul 2015 #42

Two things contributed to the decline in population vinny9698 Jul 2015 #6

Are you sure they gender terminate in Japan? Sunlei Jul 2015 #8

They don't gender terminate here in Japan Art_from_Ark Jul 2015 #19

You know, Japan, China, whatevas. mahina Jul 2015 #22

This one, that one...the other yuiyoshida Jul 2015 #23

;) mahina Jul 2015 #30

Dokodemo, minna ga onaji to mitai, ne? hatrack Jul 2015 #71

Sou ne, Genki dayo! yuiyoshida Jul 2015 #74

Iie, kochira koso! hatrack Jul 2015 #79

wwwwwwwww yuiyoshida Jul 2015 #80

Japan's population growth wasn't due to immigration. Igel Jul 2015 #10

They don't do this in Japan... yuiyoshida Jul 2015 #13

+1 nsd Jul 2015 #16

This happened in Korea as well davidpdx Jul 2015 #43

If you don't know what you are talking about, why pretend? nt Bonobo Jul 2015 #15

Japan Needs Immigrants dem in texas Jul 2015 #7

Excellent point. Without immigration the worker to retiree ratio will become unmanageable. (eom) StevieM Jul 2015 #9

"they and their children are the future consumers and tax payers." And caregivers. Tarheel_Dem Jul 2015 #12

Japanese culture is not easy to adapt to Art_from_Ark Jul 2015 #20

That is interesting. Thank you for sharing that info with us. smirkymonkey Jul 2015 #35

Immigrants working in Japan Art_from_Ark Jul 2015 #38

Thank you! smirkymonkey Jul 2015 #39

My son said that it takes at least a year for the paperwork to get processed once a person leaves fed-up Jul 2015 #65

Yes, the immigration people prefer full-time work, Art_from_Ark Jul 2015 #68

might be a good idea to drop by our Asian group to find out yuiyoshida Jul 2015 #60

Same here in Korea, but I agree with the need for immigrants davidpdx Jul 2015 #44

Here are some graphs about the foreign population in Japan Art_from_Ark Jul 2015 #47

There are a huge number of weebos wanting to go there. joshcryer Jul 2015 #48

What exactly could they contribute to Japan? Art_from_Ark Jul 2015 #50

Yes, they'd be misfits. joshcryer Jul 2015 #53

Knowing the language is important, but it's not enough Art_from_Ark Jul 2015 #54

interesting... can you from your own communities within the larger one? Liberal_in_LA Jul 2015 #61

There are a few expat communities here Art_from_Ark Jul 2015 #62

thanks for the meetup suggestion-I will pass it to my son in Tokyo fed-up Jul 2015 #66

If he's in Tokyo, Art_from_Ark Jul 2015 #67

He did study abroad for 1 1/2 years, came home, graduated, then went back 2 years ago fed-up Jul 2015 #69

I wonder what Meetup groups your son tried Art_from_Ark Jul 2015 #70

I attended a lecture by a demographer some years back daleo Jul 2015 #14

Japan's population is about 4X that of California, Art_from_Ark Jul 2015 #21

Perhaps. But how will... Adrahil Jul 2015 #29

Tax the rich, raise wages. joshcryer Jul 2015 #52

That math doesn't work. Adrahil Jul 2015 #56

Any system that is underpinned be an assumption of rising population is unsustainable daleo Jul 2015 #57

Yep. joshcryer Jul 2015 #49

More countries should follow. romanic Jul 2015 #36

Korea has a similar problem with the population decline for many of the same reasons davidpdx Jul 2015 #40

It's been well known that Japan has a mostly older population and a small younger one. trillion Jul 2015 #45

Article about Korean Weddings davidpdx Jul 2015 #46

I think the US is still heading towards zero population growth 47of74 Jul 2015 #58

Immigration can be a huge factor in population growth vinny9698 Jul 2015 #72

It happens Chirpio Jul 2015 #73

Welcome to DU yuiyoshida Jul 2015 #75

That's why they're building robots donna123 Jul 2015 #77