My next-door neighbor passed away in the summer of last year. I attended his funeral. He was a good, kind man and I will miss him.
At the ceremony, I found myself considering the make-up of the congregation, and what I saw clearly illustrates the coming demographic collapse of Japan.
There were a total of 49 people attending the funeral: two children and 47 adults. While I may not be completely accurate in my estimation, there were only a total of six women who looked as if they were pre-menopausal. To keep that room's population constant, each of those women would need to have eight children.