One of the biggest challenges Japan faces in the decades ahead is shoshika, or the reduced number of children due to the low birth rate. Japan’s population is just about 127,700,000, peaking in 2009 before starting a slow decline as deaths outpace births. One reason for the decline is increased education and work opportunities for women, which means they get married later (age 28 today, compared with age 23 in 1950) and have one child on average, compared with 2-3 in previous generations. Japan has very little immigration today, but it’s eventually going to have to open itself to the outside world to keep its economy running, perhaps signing a free labor agreement with another country. I’m thinking India would be a great candidate: they’ve got a young population of well-educated citizens, and since curry is the unofficial national staple food of Japan (we eat it 2-3 times per week at our house), there’s a basis for cooperation already in place. They could call it the “Curry Alliance.” Well, what do you think of my suggestion?
Moe curry is the best curry.
