Declining fertility in Japan: Its mechanisms and policy responses.

Abstract

This article seeks to analyse the fertility transformation in post-war Japan. The following section discusses how the demographic mechanism of Japans postwar fertility decline varied over time while the ensuing section examines what factors contributed to such demographic shifts. Subsequently a number of the policies and programmes to raise fertility that the Government of Japan has formulated and implemented over the past decade are discussed and their limitations briefly considered. The final section discusses aspects of Japans postwar experience which may be relevant for developing countries in Asia particularly with regard to the first "demographic dividend" yielded by fertility reduction. (excerpt)