Contemporary Social Issues
The era of globalization has given rise to societal problems that are straining the fab-
ric of contemporary Japanese social order and, in some instances, pressuring tradi-
tional values. These problems include (1) demographic changes, (2) immigration
issues, and (3) risk management.
Japan’s once-rural society, characterized by interdependent extended families, now
consists largely of urban nuclear families living in high-density population centers.
The number of single-person households also had risen to over 32 percent by 2010.
Japan’s elderly (age sixty-five and above) population represented over 25 percent of
the total population in 2013 and is projected to grow to almost 40 percent by 2050.
The situation is further exacerbated by increased longevity, a falling marriage rate, a
rising marriage age, and a declining birthrate.^82 Stated simply, the Japanese are living
longer, fewer are getting married, those marrying are doing so at an older age, and
women are having fewer babies. These developments will ultimately exert a signifi-
cant burden on all social programs, especially pensions, as the native workforce
declines. The obvious solution is increased immigration, but this option faces consid-
erable difficulty. As Kingston points out,“The growing presence of foreigners in Japan
is generally unwelcome and seen as a risk not only in terms of crime rates, but also to
a national identity rooted in a sense of homogeneity.”^83 For Japan’s consensus-based,
conformist, and highly risk-avoiding culture, change comes gradually, even in the face
of crisis. This is evident in Japan’s continued inability to turn its economy around in
the globalized market.^84 However, in the dynamics of the globalized world, change is
constant and often rapid, requiring governments and corporations to either adapt or
be left behind. Sugimoto indicates“contemporary Japanese society is caught between
the contradictory forces ofnarrow ethnocentrism and open internationalization.”^85 In
short, Japanese society is experiencing considerable social challenges in the processJapan’s history is based
on cultural group
orientation,
perseverance,
hierarchy, social
predictability, and the
love of tradition.
Courtesy of Edwin McDaniel180 CHAPTER 5•Cultural History: Precursor to the Present and Future
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