Last year, 21,000 more people died than were born in Japan - the first natural decline in population ever.

With Japanese living longer than the rest of the world, and fewer young people to support them, it is a very serious problem in Japan.

However, annual births in Japan were up for the seventh year in a row and the number of marriages since last June have been rising.

The reasons why the birth rate has been declining -

1. Japanese are delaying marriage

2. Japanese are forgoing marriage

3. More Japanese women are working and don’t have or want to take the time to have children

4. Japanese men are too exhausted to do their part when they get home.

Births from Jan-Sep of this year were up 17,647 over the same time period last year, but down in September by four.

Marriages in September were also down by more than 3,000.

The fertility rate in 2005 was 1.25, the worst ever and fifth consecutive annual decline.

Japan is thinking hard about how to get its couples back in bed until the deed is measurably done = more kids.

What do you think?