Jason Margolis

Jason Margolis

Jason Margolis is a Boston-based reporter who regularly files stories throughout the U.S. about politics, economics, immigration issues, and environmental matters.

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Birth, Death, and Shopping in Japan

January 6, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment
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Prices for real estate are sky high in Tokyo, not just in life, but in death too. The price for a burial plot in Tokyo is far from cheap. But using modern technology and some Japanese robotics, multi-story urban burial buildings are rising in popularity.

It’s not just expensive to die in Japan, it’s expensive to be born. Japan has an aging population and the government is trying to push up the country’s low birth rate with some financial incentives. But it’s particularly hard to be a parent in Japan, financially speaking that is.

Also on the podcast, Russians, Indians, and Israelis have arrived in Mississippi. And they may no longer be going for Olympic gold in Australia.

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One comment for “Birth, Death, and Shopping in Japan”

  • http://www.sahv.com Stephen

    Good episode. 2 points about sexism in the piece about birth in Japan.
    The reporter cites the Japanese word for husband, “shuujin”, which is written with the character for “master”, as evidence of sexism or lack of social progress.

    –Point 1– The English word “husband” also means “master”. (Think of “animal husbandry”, for example).

    –Point 2– The piece seems to assume that the husband having the unique role of “master” or “head of the household” is somehow regressive of sexist, an assumption I would take issue with.

    –Let me throw in a 3rd point– Japanese men work more slavishly and do way more menial tasks in the office than their wives do at home. While the husbands are typing up TPS report cover sheets, the wives are meeting with their English study group at Starbucks.

    Those points aside, yes, of course Japan does have more sexism than Christian and post-Christian countries.