September 9, 2026

Akahata ‘current’ column (excerpts)

The most common answer to delaying marriage was financial anxiety. This was shown in a recent survey regarding marriage hurdles by the Children and Families Agency (CFA) taken of 100,000 young people aged 15 to 39.

In the same survey, insufficient funding for housing was cited by 30% of the respondents. Female respondents in their early twenties and younger were more likely to cite an imbalance in sharing family responsibilities including child-rearing. More than half of the respondents answered that they prioritize their leisure time and hobbies over marriage.

The burden of repayment of so-called “scholarship” loans also constitutes one of the hurdles. Currently, one in two college students receive such loans. Several surveys show that more than 70% of university undergraduate and graduate students believe that loan repayment obligations negatively impacts on their ability to get married.

In the CFA survey, while roughly one in three people responded that they have no intention to get married, a significant number believe that they would take the plunge if the right conditions were in place.

The CFA ascribes the declining birthrate to trends in marriage among young people. However, the government’s role should be to build the foundation of a society where everyone can pursue their own happiness. The reality that young people have a diminished hope or vision for the future is precisely the crisis Japan is facing.