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that really doesn't explain why they keep having less kids, not more. Since the 80's their fertility rate dropped by some 30% but i doubt the 80's there were any less cutthroat or careerist than today.

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Because women entered the workforce. That's it. A couple has collective time. Before one partner has a lot of time. Right now that is not true and every year more and more couples have two workers. Honestly women working accounts for declining birth rates everywhere. Japan just has it the worst because of their work culture and regular culture. A woman knows that the moment that she gets married, she'll be discriminated against and perhaps just forced out of the work place, so she doesn't. In Japan no one has kids out of wedlock. There you do. Continously declining birth rates from women marrying less and more couples with dual incomes.

so according to what i actually looked up, women's involvement in labor force in Japan stayed around 40% for the last 3 decades. So what are you talking about? "women entered the workforce"? "That's it" what, exactly?

[*] https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.TLF.TOTL.FE.ZS?locat...

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