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The reason for Japanese people's increasing reluctance to get married is that their romantic ability is declining.

24 Comments

Narise Ishida, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party faction in the Mie Prefectural Assembly. He voiced the theory during a general question and answer session at the assembly, and asked the prefectural government to conduct a survey and analysis of residents' romantic ability.

© Mainichi Shimbun

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24 Comments
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What word did he use for "ability"? "Romansu Nouryoku"??

You have people finding traditional family formation increasingly expensive due to the rising cost of living/falling real terms wages, while being constantly bombarded with increasingly sophisticated and personalized marketing of goods and services based on big data secretly amassed through all of your online activity. You cannot afford a family and the man is getting increasingly good at selling you something else to make you happy as an individual.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Hm…; the world is changing…; we can’t just talk about communication skills, romanticism (and Japanese men are not exactly the most romantic men in the world), money or career planning…; there’s a combination of factors…; a) people with their heads inside their smartphones/iPads/computers/TVs, becoming more and more introverted, shy and isolated…; b) no stable jobs/low income…; c) lack of interest for their professional future…; d) the rich minority becoming even more rich…; e) women choosing stability aka money…; women prioritizing their careers…; etcetera… etcetera… etcetera.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Of course the huge difficulties in making marriages work because of the economic hardships produced by the LDP policies have absolutely nothing to do with it, right?

If the government makes staying single extremely attractive (or even the only realistic possibility) for the pople, then blaming "romantic ability" is obviously just a bad excuse.

2 ( +14 / -12 )

Indeed it is not about money only.

Many activities have replaced the natural one which is seduction, bringing the pleasure hormons high enough to become an artificial substitution.

Many prefer indeed a smartphone activity than a sex-driven conversation, especially because culturally there is now too much despise about it as it destroys the harmony.

Not limited to Japan.

People don't know what they are missing but it kept birth level under control for cheap for government. Now it is looking to reverse without granting any reward while situation is dire.

2 ( +8 / -6 )

There are several issues and it's not just japan that is feeling the pinch. It's about hard economic times, feminisim gone wrong, and politics which generate a gender identity crisis. Just to name a few.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

I think romantic ability starts in a soul ability. Morality, spiritual growth that gives way for being able truly love someone, including romantically. But spiritual growth is often hard, needs effort and will, Lord’s help and often people themselves are not interested. Some are just satisfied with shallow connection.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Passions of the Pinstripes!

Top scores gotta go to this guy and all the hostess bar flys..

It aint your skills eL bandito. Maybe its The Loot for love..

1 ( +1 / -0 )

what a good joke,really good one....give me a break mister politician,people have no money to have a family and raise a kids...thanks to LDP crooks like you...

0 ( +10 / -10 )

The reason for Japanese people's increasing reluctance to get married is that their romantic ability is declining.

Why am I not surprised that an asinine comment like that would come from a LDP member?

Yes, and I'm sure the LDP are experts on romance, let alone, social and fashion sense. (sarcasm)

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

I think Japanese people have worked out that the deal on offer is not a good one. Particularly women, expected to look after the kids, elderly in-laws and then their retired partner.

Japanese women are choosing a fur baby, a career, and a more relaxing life with fewer family demands.

Japanese Men are choosing an oshi, a hobby and the benefit of fewer economic responsibilities.

The rest of the world will catch up with Japan eventually.

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

Yes, and I'm sure the LDP are experts on romance, 

Hey man, don't you remember that heartthrob Hakuo Yanagisawa who had the ladies swooning with passion when he suavely murmured in his sexy voice that women were all "birth-giving machines" and "baby making devices"?

Yup, them LDP STUDS are hopelessly romantic smooth-talking operators.

-3 ( +7 / -10 )

"The reason for Japanese people's increasing reluctance to get married is that their romantic ability is declining."

Perhaps, given the mentalities of their leaders, their 'romantic ability' isn't declining but their cynicism is GROWING. And the whole stylized ritual of 'romance', at least as portrayed in the 'romantic' media, is clearly for children and childish minds. And young people look around and see the pain that being a parent in Japan is and how having a couple of little parasites dependent on you constrains life and how unnecessary fulfilling one's ego by trying to reproduce oneself really is and they say "Naw". In the old days when change and disruption were slower, children were a hedge against old age. Today, the uncertain future that young people are facing dwarfs worries about old age, will they even reach middle age? There is a price to driving a population with FEAR. And if the Rulers of Japan are worried they might have to share more money for the care of the elderly because of decreased birthrate, the quote from Google [sperm count decline}, below, should, hopefully, bring on peptic ulcers in all of them.

"In the last 50 years, average human sperm concentrations dropped by 51.6 percent, and total sperm counts dropped by 62.3 percent, according to a study published last week in the journal Human Reproduction Update. The researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 223 papers published between 1973 and 2018.Nov 22, 2022"

Might it go to zero? The rest of the planet waits in hopeful anticipation...

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Marriage is overrated. Cohabitation is the way to go! Cost-efficient, and with added bonus of getting away from complicated amicable settlements brought by an expected divorce.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

The reason for Japanese people's increasing reluctance to get married is that their romantic ability is declining.

Why am I not surprised that an asinine comment like that would come from a LDP member?

-4 ( +12 / -16 )

No, they have surely same or more romantic feelings like anywhere else too. But after some school senpais , subway chikan , smartphones under the skirts or telling from friends or elderly how their experiences so far turned out, every remaining romantic feeling is blown away into a nothing.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Yes, and I'm sure the LDP are experts on romance, let alone, social and fashion sense. (sarcasm)

Brilliant!

-5 ( +5 / -10 )

Because they don't have money and sources for sustainable incomes.

-10 ( +8 / -18 )

Japanese women largely marry for money. Japanese men cannot secure solid lifetime employment like previous generations therefore the majority of women are not interested. Japanese men generally prefer a wife who acts more like a mother to him and any children they may have. Japanese women have understandably decided that there is more to life than this arrangement and Japanese men have found that virtual women do not nag or gripe and therefore Japanese men are opting out of marriage.

-11 ( +11 / -22 )

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