Why 1 in 3 unmarried young Japanese don’t plan to marry

More than 1 in 3 unmarried young Japanese say they don’t plan to ever marry. But does that mean young people in Japan are simply giving up on marriage? A new survey by Japan’s Children and Families Agency points to a more complicated picture. Some young people genuinely don’t want to marry. Others cite money, housing, work, difficulty finding a partner, having children or simply not wanting to give up their time and independence. In this episode of Japan Today Spotlight, we look at what’s behind changing attitudes toward marriage in Japan — and why the trend matters for a country already facing a record-low birthrate. The discussion focuses primarily on heterosexual marriage and its relationship to Japan’s declining birthrate. Questions about same-sex couples, changing attitudes toward sexuality, adoption and alternative family structures deserve a closer look of their own. Do you think changing attitudes toward marriage are mainly about economics, changing values or something else? Sources are in the links below. -------------------------------------------------- ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 Intro: Why aren’t they marrying? 00:48 Marriage isn’t a given 02:09 The marriage bargain 04:35 One in three 06:26 Wanting isn’t enough 07:55 Marriage and the birthrate 09:47 Outro -------------------------------------------------- 🔗 Visit the story on Japan Today: 📌 https://japantoday.com/category/spotl... 🔗 Japan Today sources: 📌 35% of unmarried youth in Japan say they do not plan to marry: survey -- https://japantoday.com/category/natio... 📌 Why are so many young Japanese giving up hope on raising a family? -- https://japantoday.com/category/featu... 🔗 External sources: 📌 Children and Families Agency — Survey of young people (PDF, Japanese) ⁠-- https://www.cfa.go.jp/assets/contents... 📌 National Institute of Population and Social Security Research — 17th National Fertility Survey (English summary) -- https://www.ipss.go.jp/ps-doukou/j/do... 📌 Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare — Final 2025 vital statistics (PDF, Japanese) ⁠-- https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/saikin/... 📌 OECD Economic Surveys: Japan 2024 -- https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/... 🔔 Subscribe for more Japan news and analysis.    / @japantodayofficial   Follow Japan Today for more: 🌏 Website: https://japantoday.com 📸 Instagram:   / japantodaynews   📘 Facebook:   / japantoday   🐤 Twitter/X: https://x.com/JapanToday DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this video are those of the host and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of GPlusMedia, Inc.