1) Postponement of Marriage
Age at first marriage in Japan has become one of the highest, if not the highest, in the world. According to 1995 vital statistics, the mean age at first marriage was 28.5 years for males and 26.3 years for females. For females this represents a rise from a mean age of 23.0 years in 1950 and 25.2 years in 1980. Although the divorce rate is lower in Japan than in most of the Western countries, the very high age at first marriage effectively shortens the reproductive span of married couples. According to the 1995 census, the proportion of the population aged 20-24 who were currently married was only 12.2 percent for females and 6.2 percent for males. Even in the age group 25-29, the most reproductive age group, only 48.6 percent of females and 31.5 percent of males were currently married.
Since fecundability starts declining after age 30 and by age 35 is reduced to three-fourths of the full-capacity of fecundability level attained at ages 20-27, late entry into married life, in a setting inimical to premarital births, acts as a biological depressant to fertility. It keeps some Japanese couples from achieving their desired or expected fertility (Institute of Population Problems, 1993). According to the national fertility surveys in 1977, 1982, 1987 and 1992, Japanese couples expected to have 2.2 children on average the number being remarkably stable; in those years, however, observed yearly fertility was below replacement (Institute of Population Problems, 1988 and 1993).
Late marriage in Japan is due to the interplay of economic and social factors. Housing is extremely costly, and young men are not expected to marry until they are capable of maintaining new households without financial assistance from their parents. In addition, marriage in Japan is a very costly event： wedding ceremonies are elaborate and expensive; before the start of marriage the groom must make financial arrangements to set up a new home, and the bride must bring a dowry in kind if not in cash. Normally, a bride is expected to bring to the new home all the necessary furnishings-including major household appliances and furniture.
