The
People
of Japan
According to the 1996
national population census, Japan's total population was
125.7 million. This made Japan the seventh most populous
nation in the world. The population has more than doubled
since the first national census in 1920, when it was about
56 million.
Population growth has
slowed in recent years. The annual growth rate averaged
0.3% in the 1990-95 period, considerably lower than the
world average of 1.6%.
As of
1994 Japan' population density was 335.4 persons per
square kilometer, one of the highest in the world.
By comparison, the
population density was 828 persons per square kilometer in
Bangladesh, 440 in South Korea, 328 in Belgium, 237 in
Britain, 124 in China and 27 in the United States (1992
figures).
LIFE EXPECTANCY
The average
life expectancy at birth for the Japanese was 76.57 years
for males and 82.98 years for females as of 1994,
representing increases of about 30 years each over the
past six decades. (The figures stood at 47 years for men
and 50 years for women in 1935.)
This sharp
increase is attributed to the fact that infant mortality
rates and deaths from epidemics, tuberculosis, and other
diseases have declined significantly. The average death
rate, which stood at 10.9 per 1,000 in 1950, was 7.1 per
1,000 in 1994. In 1950 there were 28.1 births per 1,000
people.
This rate
slowly declined to a low of 9.9 in 1991. Due partly to
subsequent policies aimed at reversing the trend, the rate
crept back to 10 per 1,000 in 1994. In addition, the
total fertility rate (the number of children that a woman
can expect to give birth to in her lifetime) has declined
gradually from 3.65 in 1950 to 1.5 in 1994.
The aging of
society continues to advance. In 1950 children of up to
14 years accounted for 35% of the total population, adults
(15-64 years) for 60% and the elderly (65 years and older)
for 5.0%. In 1994 children accounted for 16.3% of the
total population, adults for 69.6% and the elderly for
14.1%.
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LEISURE
There are
certain times in Japan when holidays appear one after
another, such as Golden Week, from the end of April to the
beginning of May. Other full-scale holidays are at the
end of the year (New Year's) and the middle of August (Bon
festival).
Vacations are
concentrated during these three periods. As a result, 3
times a year, the throng of people on transportation
facilities and roads returning home to visit parents and
coming back again, unfailingly becomes an issue. Travel
abroad during this period reaches a peak at international
airports such as New Tokyo International Airport (Narita),
which is invariably congested with people.
There are
businesses adopting flexible holidays to avoid the crowd.
Taking annual vacations has become an accepted company
policy, even taking days off has now become easier. An
amendment of the labor Standard Law, carried out in April
1997, implemented a 40-hour week. Consequently, the era
of a 5-day work week has finally gained ground.
Based on the
activities and polled opinions of those 15 years and
older, the shorter the holiday, the more one indulges in
pastimes like gambling. When the holiday is 2 to 3 days
long, gambling decreases and activities such as driving,
enjoying the outdoors and outdoor sports increase. When
the holiday stretches to 3 or more days, domestic and
international travel show a sharp increase, as well as
activities in the areas of self enrichment including
family communication, reading, and studying.
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