Cultural practices stand or fall on whether they allow the family -- and therefore individuals -- to flourish

Why is adoption so popular in Japan?

Carolyn Moynihan

Adoption is something that is very difficult to do in an era of declining birth rates and abortion. Many couples in developed countries who have failed to conceive look abroad -- to China or Russia or Central America -- for a child to adopt, and then it may take several years and a considerable amount of money to accomplish.

Surprisingly, in view of its very low birth rate and aversion to immigration, Japan has one of the highest adoption rates in the world. But the reason is even more surprising: more than 90 per cent of the 81,000 people adopted last year were Japanese adults -- men in their 20s and 30s.

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