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>Living in larger family units is actually very efficient.

Maybe so, but it's not a sign of excess wealth. Japanese young people live with their parents longer than was customary thirty years ago, so it's not a question of culture. They simply can't afford to move out.

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All that means is that Japanese young people are getting married later than was customary 30 years ago. For the eldest son, it's still expected in some families that he will never move out, even after getting married (my brother-in-law was roped into this, after having moved away to Kanagawa. He gave up his job and moved back into his parents home because his father more-or-less ordered him to). It's cultural as much as economic.

Which is the chicken and which is the egg? Are they moving out later because they're getting married later, or are they getting married later because they're moving out later?

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