Demographic change and inequality in Japan

the long version

Japan is a rapidly aging society, with a declining birthrate and increasing lifespan. The nation's youth tend to marry late, and some never do. Further, the number of couples without children is on the rise, and the proportion of senior citizens in the age pyramid is growing at exceptional speed. Demographic change that reflects these transformations now impacts the country's system of social stratification and inequality. In this collective study, a group of leading Japanese sociologists scrutinizes hidden disparities behind the demographic shifts. Using a variety of quantitative data, the authors address Japan's unprecedented experience from sober sociological perspectives.