Table 1.
Summary of research examining temporal changes in individualism in Japan.
| Indicator | Time period | Main results | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Increase in individualism | Divorce rate | 1950–2004 (55) | Increase in divorce rate | Hamamura, 2012 |
| 1947–2015 (69) | Increase in divorce rate | Ogihara, Manuscript submitted | ||
| Household size | 1950–2006 (57) | Decrease in household size | Hamamura, 2012 | |
| 1953–2015 (63) | Decrease in household size | Ogihara, Manuscript submitted | ||
| Rate of people living alone | 1953–2015 (63) | Increase in rates of people living alone | Ogihara, Manuscript submitted | |
| Rate of nuclear family households | 1964–2015 (52) | Increase in rates of nuclear family | Ogihara, Manuscript submitted | |
| Rate of three-generation households | 1967–2015 (49) | Decrease in rates of three-generation households | Ogihara, Manuscript submitted | |
| Human baby names | 2004–2013 (10) | Decrease in rates of common human baby names. | Ogihara et al., 2015a | |
| 1984–2015 (32) | Decrease in rates of common human baby names | Ogihara, 2016b | ||
| Dog names | 2006–2014 (9) | Decrease in rates of common dog names | Ogihara et al., 2015b | |
| Words in newspaper | 1875–2015 (141) | Increase in rates of headlines including individualistic words | Ogihara, 2017b | |
| Social values | 1981–2005 (25) | Increase in importance of independence for child socialization | Hamamura, 2012 | |
| 1953–2008 (56) | Decrease in importance of family life (vs. business engagement) | |||
| 1953–2008 (56) | Decrease in importance of following tradition | |||
| Persistence of collectivism | Social values | 1958–2008 (51) | Persistence of importance of society/nation | Hamamura, 2012 |
| 1978–2008 (31) | Persistence of importance of social harmony | |||
| 1981–2005 (25) | Persistence of duty of loving and respecting parents | |||
| 1990–2005 (26) | Persistence of importance of friend | |||
| Increase in collectivism | Social values | 1963–2008 (46) | Decrease in importance of individual rights | Hamamura, 2012 |
| 1963–2008 (46) | Increase in importance of honoring obligations | |||
| 1977–2007 (21) | Increase in importance of effort for a successful life | |||
| 1977–2007 (21) | Increase in importance of social contribution for fulfilling life |
The numbers in parentheses in the time period row indicate the number of years covered by each indicator. Except for social values, they show the number of data points examined. The indicators of social values were generally collected every 5 years.