Originally Posted by
5khours
Also - IMHO, the falling birthrates are a result of the lousy economy.
In Japan I think it's pretty complex. For one, in most places, child care is quite difficult to obtain. Then there's the work conditions - most places just don't have the kind of work arrangements necessary for a family with two working parents.
Every day in Umeda I walk past a fairly new building (2 or 3 years old) that sits empty. I don't remember when it was built but it's always been empty.