Stated Desire versus Actual Practice: Reviewing the Literature on Low Fertility Rates in Contemporary Japanese Society

This article examines the Japanese literature on the current phenomenon of low fertility in Japan, which persists despite the understanding shared by most Japanese that children are valued. By reviewing existing research on low fertility in Japan, the article examines the emergence of low fertility and introduces a new perspective that links the phenomenon to the larger context of social change in Japan. Analysis of the literature reveals that low fertility is paradoxically accompanied by a persistent or enduring desire to have children, as stated by a majority of interviewees. This paradox between desire and behaviour signifies social change that demonstrates both discontinuity and continuity of marriage- and family-related practices and processes in Japanese society.