Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

According to finalized figures from the 2025 national census released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Mie Prefecture’s total population stood at 1,693,200, down 4.4%—about 77,000 people—from the previous 2020 census. This marks the fourth consecutive decline since the population peaked in 2005, with only two municipalities, Asahi and Kawagoe, seeing population growth. Meanwhile, the number of foreign residents hit a record high, with Vietnamese nationals standing out among the various nationalities. On 5ch, threads mixed voices linking the rise in foreign residents to debates over immigration policy with others pointing out that Mie’s actual foreign resident ratio is only around 4%—”not as high as I expected”—and the discussion spread to population trends and local topics in other prefectures.

Finalized figures from last year’s national census have been released, showing that Mie Prefecture’s population declined compared to the previous census six years earlier, while the number of foreign residents living in the prefecture reached a record high.

According to the finalized census figures released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Mie Prefecture’s total population as of October 1 last year was approximately 1,693,200, down 4.4%—about 77,000 people—from the 2020 census, marking the fourth consecutive decline since the population peaked in the 2005 census.

By municipality, only Asahi and Kawagoe towns saw population increases compared to the previous census, while the remaining 27 municipalities in the prefecture saw declines.

Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here

*This article was compiled by excerpting and summarizing the 5ch (News Flash+) thread “Mie Prefecture’s Population Drops by About 77,000; Foreign Residents Up 31.4% to Record High, Vietnamese Nationals Number About 14,000.”

Japan’s Civil Code spells out a married couple’s duties to live together, cooperate, and support one another, but it says nothing about sex. Even so, past court rulings have treated a spouse’s lack of sex as “grounds that make it difficult to continue the marriage,” justifying divorce — meaning legal scholars and judges alike have long operated on the premise that “married couples are supposed to have sex,” according to Risa Oshima, a professor at Aoyama Gakuin University, whose remarks have sparked debate. On 5ch, reactions ranged widely: some argued that if sex is a “duty,” then affairs or sex work should be tolerated in exchange; others pointed out that continued refusal can become grounds for divorce; still others questioned the very necessity of the institution of marriage.

People often say they can’t refuse sex with their spouse because “it’s a marital duty.” But is there actually a legal duty for married couples to have sex? We asked Professor Risa Oshima of Aoyama Gakuin University, an expert in family law.

The Civil Code states that married couples have duties to live together, cooperate, and support one another, but there’s no provision about sex. That said, this hasn’t been enough to conclude there’s no duty to have sex — because, although rare, there have been court rulings granting divorce on the grounds that a lack of sex with one’s spouse amounts to “grounds that make it difficult to continue the marriage.”

The Civil Code is written in deliberately abstract terms so judges can apply it flexibly. In practice, rulings have been shaped by the prevailing social norms surrounding marriage at the time. Up to now, both legal scholars and judges have operated on the assumption that “married couples are supposed to have sex,” and most past court rulings have been grounded in that assumption.

Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Read the original article here

※This article was compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (News Speed+) thread “Is Sex a Marital Duty in Marriage? What If You Say ‘I Don’t Want To’? A Legal Scholar Weighs In.”