January 26, 2009 12:41 PM
Japan's unPelosian response to economic woes: we need more kids!
Well. In contrast to Madame Pelosi's answer to our economic woes - get rid of the babies - Japan is responding to their own recession with more intelligence:TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Even before one reaches the front door of Canon's headquarters in Tokyo, one can sense the virtual stampede of employees pouring out of the building exactly at 5:30 p.m.
Japan's birth rate of 1.34 is below the level needed to maintain the country's population.
In a country where 12-hour workdays are common, the electronics giant has taken to letting its employees leave early twice a week for a rather unusual reason: to encourage them to have more babies.
"Canon has a very strong birth planning program," says the company's spokesman Hiroshi Yoshinaga. "Sending workers home early to be with their families is a part of it."
Japan in the midst of an unprecedented recession, so corporations are being asked to work toward fixing another major problem: the country's low birthrate
Read entire article here.
Posted in Current Affairs, Pro-Life Issues | Permalink
Comments
Interesting post! And, apparently Japan has also taken another stance that would prove unpopular in both the United States and Europe, opening their borders to immigrants in the hopes of regenerating their population: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/22/AR2009012204150.html
One thing that's amazed me about Europe in particular is that, despite a dwindling population, most countries continue to be xenophobic.
Posted by: Adele at simplelifemusings.blogspot.com | January 26, 2009 1:09 PM
They are on the right track!
Posted by: Elizabeth M Thompson | January 26, 2009 1:37 PM
Not only is abortion legal in Japan prior to 23 weeks, the attitude towards it is not severe. Japan does not have the demonstrations at abortion clinics, many debates about the legality of abortion, or the controversies that we have here. It is not difficult to get a legal abortion in Japan.
Interestingly, the Japanese do recognize the fetus in death as children. There are ceremonies and recognition of fetuses lost to abortion, both contrived and spontaneous. My family crypt in Japan has many places taken by miscarriages. Though none took a breath, they are recognized in death, unlike in our countries where miscarriages are almost always just thrown away. Though the Catholic Church believes the fetus is life, it does not encourage a funeral with rites when one does not make it to a live birth. Nor do we see our bibles filled with the names of babes who died before living outside the womb.
Japan's attitudes towards aborted fetuses in terms of mourning and celebrating is something that we can emulate as it would be a big step towards recognizing these fetuses as having been alive in the first place.
Posted by: Cath Young | January 26, 2009 7:28 PM
Since I make my home in Japan, this was very interesting for me! I was writing a comment here, but it was getting so long that I decided to write about it on my blog instead, linking back to your post. Please come on over and read it if you have a chance.
Posted by: Sue | January 26, 2009 9:48 PM
