100 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Oct. 26, 1911
A statement issued by the Bureau of Statistics gives an interesting view of society in modern Japan. Marriage was formerly contracted at a youthful age in this country, but this is no longer the case. As in European countries, the high cost of living is now the question which every young person has to answer before finding himself or herself ready to take the vow of "for better or for worse."
Statistics show that in 1897, 22 was the most popular age for young men to get married, and 19 the most popular age for young women. In 1900, it was 25 for young men and 20 for young ladies. A bureau spokesperson said: "The same trend is still continuing today as far as men are concerned; but the most popular age for young women to get married is fixed at 20. This shows that young men prefer a wife that is not over 20 years of age."