Their relative pay stagnated but their quality of life seems pretty good especially compared to Taiwan when considering housing cost and buxiban cost and school hours.
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To add to quality of life, beer and coffee cheaper than 30 years ago. Working hours much less. Safer working culture. less crazy (read about red army in Japan)
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The Japanese workplace is more stressful I think, big again it definitely depends where you are working and what you are doing. If you like drinks after work might be better I guess.
So you believe the skyâs the limit?
As of the end of 2024, Japanâs national debt reached a record high of approximately „1.32 quadrillion (around $8.67 trillion), with a debt-to-GDP ratio exceeding 260%.
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British national debt:
-200% of GDP after Napoleonic wars.
-29% 1900s
-massive increase through two world wars
-dropped to 29% in 2002
-rise from then till sits at 101% now
The interest rate in Japan is at 0.5% today- hardly the sign of a debt crisis.
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They rapidly weakened their currency to survive. It cut their purchasing power dramatically but they donât travel much and housing costs are much lower in general so they are ok In general, they just arenât rich like the old days.
With a continually aging society it is interesting to see how they will handle this though.
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And then many treat me as a fool, when I say, that too many Taiwanese see others only like this:
âŠif they actually see others.
Of course such phenomena exists everywhere, but to me it seems it is more prevalent here.
Japanâs current debt-to-GDP ratio in peacetime is 263%. 24% of its tax revenues this year are going to servicing its national debt. With an aging, declining population itâs delusional to believe those numbers are sustainable.
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How long can Taiwanese motherâs stay with their baby at home, after he or she is born?
And how long do they usually stay before they pass the child to some daycare etc?
(In case they are not unemployed and husband paying everything.)
I was pushed out of my lane today by a guy in a Porsche SUV. I doubt he saw me, but if he did I didnât register in his âbrainâ as something he shouldnât drive intoâŠ
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Maybe rich guys in Taiwan ought to become more Musky. Mars needs women! Elon is (literally) living the Wankerâs dream.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elon-musk-children-mothers-ashley-st-clair-grimes-dc7ba05c
Non-paywalled - https://archive.ph/UEoS6
Musk likely has 14 acknowledged but probably many more under NDAs. âHarem dramaâ - mmm, dishy!
[!quote] focustaiwan.tw
The number of newborns in April totaled 8,684, marking a decrease of 704 births compared to March and the lowest monthly figure on record.
After declining for the 16th consecutive month, Taiwanâs population stood at 23,365,274 as of the end of April â down 49,826 from the same time last year.
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Japan, but just a few years behind.
Many Taiwanese think, that the environment in Taiwan is not good for living, for bringing children into this worldâŠpollution, overcrowded, stressful and the wages are not so high, so they rather prefer to enjoy their life childless as much as they canâŠ
Not like such thing would not happen in other countries too, but in Taiwan I see it a lot.
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Also In the past, people would have children even if their finances werenât perfect. They were willing to adjust their spending and make sacrifices to raise a family.
But today, the idea of compromise has lost its value. Many people now only consider having children if they can maintain the same lifestyle they had beforeâtraveling abroad five times a year, enjoying all their comforts unchanged.
Being parents, which once meant embracing sacrifices, is now seen as something that shouldnât disrupt personal pleasures. Weâve reached a point where compromise is often viewed as a sign of weakness.
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You say that like itâs a bad thing. When I see images of emaciated children in parts of the world that suffer from chronic war and starvation I wonder what adult in his or her right mind would bring children into such an environment.
I totally agree with the modern school of thought. Things have been getting worse objectively for many people in the last decade and the media has hyped up the bad news worldwide so people donât feel secure. (Generalizing here) Their jobs suck, the pay sucks, the world news is bad, so why wouldnât someone prioritize pleasure vs having to compromise with kids. As things have been going, itâs created a nihilistic society to an extent, who wants kids if they feel things arenât good.
Iâd also say that lack of religion for most is also a factor, that had a lot of influence in the past for large families. Church pushed families but now materialism and commercialism is the new mainstay and that tells people to consume and have fun, yolo.
Itâs lots of things, isnât it. Costs have gone up at home and for homes. And it is easier to travel abroad. Social safety nets and womenâs liberation also give more choice. And a lot of kids suck, but we canât smack them around anymoreâŠ
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We need more Walmarts
So, instead of beating some manners into the ones that canât be reasoned with, they can be threatened with stretchy pants?