Anya Forger: The Solution to Japan’s Population Problem

You know whenever people ask me which country I think is the most advanced country in the world my answer is always Japan.

While I stand by this statement for the most part, that does not mean that this is the country that I want to live in the most. And it is in in no way taking away the fact that Japan is weird.

For all the greatness that Japan has they do have some, let’s say quirky issues over there like:

Monsterizing their greatest tragedy the atomic bombs into a giant atomic lizard (Godzilla)

The unbelievably high standards they have for work, creating a society that prioritizes work over mental health and unused vacation days (Japanese Work Culture) 

A reducing population density at a time when over population is still rampant in most parts of the world (Aging of Japan)

Let’s focus on the third one here.

THE AGING OF JAPAN

The Aging of Japan is used to describe the situation in which Japan’s population density keeps reducing caused by a high life expectancy and a low rate of birth. What this means is that the Japanese population has a much higher number of older people than younger ones. Right now,  Japan has the highest proportion of elderly citizens of any country in the world. The aging of Japanese society, characterized by this low fertility rates and high life expectancy, is expected to continue. In the coming years

But what does all this have to do with Spy x Family, and the embodiment of weaponized cuteness Anya. We’ll get to that.

But what we need to realize is that this reducing population a real issue for Japan. To the point where Japan, despite being an advanced nation with various technological marvels and a rich cultural heritage, they may soon find that they do not have any people to enjoy these benefits.

Reason for the Decline

The reason for the decline is complicated one, with a multitude of cultural and technological reasons. All of which resulted in a decreasing birth rate. To put that in perspective the average couple in Japan has less than 2 children, which results in there not being enough people to replace their parents in a population.

So what resulted in such a change of not wanting to have children.

Firstly finances. The irregular and often over taxing work life of the young people in japan results in them not having the time or resources needed to raise kids.

The second, the incredibly high amount of virgins in Japan. Now, this is a strange one, we’ve all heard the jokes that most anime fans are Virgins. Which is an untrue and annoying stereotype to have.

But it turns out that if you are an anime fan from japan, there is a higher possibility this may be true. No because of anime, but because of the culture.

Abstinence from sex and the taboo of having sex before marriage are still huge in Japan. And as a very culturally conscious society, the average Japanese youth is more likely to abstain from sex in general.

The third however is the advancement of technology, and more importantly the brake down of the traditional family structure.