Продолжительность жизни в Японии (XVII – первая половина XX в.)

Японские исследования. 2023. № 1. С. 46–58.

Meshcheryakov A.

Life expectancy is the most important indicator of the state of society and the quality of life of
the people who live in it. It depends on many factors that affect mortality: nutrition, physical activity, epidemic
and other diseases, natural, social and anthropogenic disasters, the level of public anxiety, the state of the
environment, healthcare, hygiene, etc.
In Japan during the Tokugawa period, the body did not belong to the person himself. His mission was
to “serve” – to the overlord and parents. This was possible only if the person was healthy for as long as
possible. During the Tokugawa era, the Japanese were taught that only a healthy person could fulfill his duty.
Healthcare was entrusted to the person himself, there was no public health system. Despite the huge differences
in natural conditions, lifestyle, nutritional diet, scientific and medical ideas, in terms of life expectancy, Japan
was approximately on the same level as major European countries.
After the Meiji revolution, the concept of “service” did not disappear, but now the main object
of service became the state represented by the emperor. The state made serious efforts in the field
of healthcare, but the negative consequences of modernization for a long time did not allow to increase
life expectancy. Its slow but steady growth begins only in the second half of the 1920s. However, before
the Second World War, Japan lagged significantly behind the developed countries of the West in terms
of life expectancy. The expansionist policy of Japan demanded to increase the number of Japanese people.
Since increasing life expectancy is a time-consuming task, the choice was made in favor of a policy
of increasing the birth rate.

Keywords: Япония, Japan, ХХ век, историческая демография, 20th century, historical demography, Tokugawa period, период Токугава

Publication based on the results of: The inner and outer dynamics of cultural processes in the Oriental societies and its traditional foundations: languages, history and religion (2022)