Elon Musk says ”Japan will eventually cease to exist."

Over the last 50 years, Japan's fertility rate has been slowly declining since its peak in the 1970s. According to statistics released by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in 2020, the rate, which indicates the number of children a woman will have in her lifetime, was 1.34. This is the fifth consecutive year of decline, and the rate is likely to drop further in 2021 due to the impact of the coronavirus.

In addition, the number of deaths per 1,000 people has risen considerably from about 6 in 1978 to currently 11 now. The death rate is 1.98%. This means that Japan is becoming an aging society with a very low birthrate.

The figure also shows that people in their 70s and 40s are overrepresented in Japan's population distribution. Japan's population pyramid is no longer in the shape of a pyramid; it looks like a vase.

Against this backdrop, Elon Musk tweeted the following.

What will Japan look like in the future as the number of children continues to decline and the elderly population increases? On Twitter, there was this opinion.

They say Japan's birth rate is declining at an alarming rate…

"Don't take maternity leave."
"Don't let pregnancy drag you down at work."
"Don't spend public funds on education."
"Don't bring your children to work."
"It's a woman's job to take care of the house."
"Let's increase the number of non-regular employees."
"Wages will not go up even if there's a sudden rise of prices"

It would be strange if the birth rate does not decline.

Response:
I've had people telling me they would hire me if I didn't take time off for my kids, and even if I put my shift off for a class visit in advance, they told me to get someone to do so.
I would like to have two children in the future, but I am worried about finances and other things, and I don't know when I will be financially stable to have children.
Japan has no future.

Japan is famous for its low crime rate and safety, but its economy and work-life balance are not good. This is clearly a failure of government policy in my opinion. I am very concerned about the future of Japan.

Japanese

ここ50年ねん間かんで日本にほんの出生率しゅっしょうりつは1970年代ねんだいをピークに緩ゆるやかに下さがり続つづけています。厚生労働省こうせいろうどうしょうが発表はっぴょうした2020年ねんの統計とうけいによると、1人にんの女性じょせいが生涯しょうがいに産うむ子こどもの数かずを示しめす率りつは1.34でした。これは5年ねん連続れんぞくの低下ていかで、新型しんがたコロナウイルスの影響えいきょうも重かさなり21年ねんには一段いちだんと低下ていかする可能性かのうせいがあります。また、1000人にん当あたりの死亡者しぼうしゃの数かずは1978年ねんが約やく6人にんであったのに対たいし、現在げんざいは11人にんとかなり上あがっています。死亡しぼう率りつは1.98%です。これは、日本にほんが超ちょう少子しょうし高齢こうれい化か社会しゃかいに突入とつにゅうしていることを意味いみします。そんな中なか、イーロンマスクは「日本にほんはいずれ消滅しょうめつするだろう」とツイートしました。日本にほんは犯罪はんざい率りつが低ひくく、安全あんぜんな国くにとして有名ゆうめいですが、経済けいざいやワークライフバランスはよくありません。これは明あきらかに政策せいさくの失敗しっぱいだと私わたしは思おもいます。日本にほんの将来しょうらいがとても心配しんぱいです。

Words

出生率しゅっせいりつ；birthrate

ピーク；peak

緩ゆるやかに；gently

厚生労働省こうせいろうどうしょう；Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

統計とうけい；statistics

生涯しょうがい；lifetime

新型しんがたコロナウイルス；Novel coronavirus

影響えいきょう；impact, effect

一段いちだんと；further

死亡しぼう率りつ；mortality

少子しょうし高齢こうれい化か社会しゃかい；aged society with a low birth rate

イーロンマスク；Elon Musk

消滅しょうめつ；extinction

ツイート；Tweet

犯罪はんざい率りつ；crime rate

経済けいざい；economics

ワークライフバランス；work life balance

政策せいさく；policy