「親孝行が求められるとき、父親は不在である」という言葉があり、親孝行の重要性が強調されています。親孝行とは何か、一つの例として「孫を抱きしめること」が挙げられていますが、現代社会では少子化が進行しています。厚生労働省の統計によると、合計特殊出生率は地域によって異なり、都市部では特に低い傾向が見られます。また、一つの家族の事例を通じて、家族関係や社会の問題が浮かび上がっています。
There is a saying, “When filial piety is required, the father is absent.” According to the Daijisen (Shogakukan), this refers to regretting not being more filial to one’s parents while they are alive. So, what is filial piety? Parents are often told that they should take their children on trips and out to eat, but do parents really want that?
One aspect of filial piety is “hugging grandchildren.” However, in modern society, there is a declining birth rate, especially in urban areas.
On April 19, 2024, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare released an overview of the “Summary of Vital Statistics by Health Centre and Municipality (Special Report on Vital Statistics)” from the year Heisei 30 to Reiwa 2. This data analyzes the “total fertility rate,” which indicates the number of children women will have in their lifetime, by municipality.
Looking at the total fertility rates from 2018 to 2022 by municipality, about 60% have a total fertility rate of 1.2 or more and less than 1.5. The municipality with the highest total fertility rate is Tokunoshima City in Oshima District, Kagoshima Prefecture (2.25), followed by Amagi City in Oshima District, Kagoshima Prefecture (2.24). Kagoshima Prefecture and Okinawa Prefecture occupied the top 17 positions.
On the other hand, the municipality with the lowest total fertility rate is Higashiyama-ku in Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture (0.76), followed by Naniwa-ku in Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture (0.80). The bottom 20 municipalities are mainly urban areas centered around Tokyo and Osaka.
Kio, who lives in a detached house in the Tokyo metropolitan area with his wife, said, “I think having grandchildren is a luxury.”
An elite wife carries samples of luxury cosmetics in her pocket.
Kiho once had a granddaughter (13 years old).
“I say “had” in the past tense, but she hasn’t passed away (laughs). My eldest son (42) got divorced two years ago, and the custody of my granddaughter went to his ex-wife. I never really liked this wife from the start; I knew right away that she was not good when my son decided to marry her.”
My eldest son attended boys’ schools from middle school to high school, enrolled in the engineering department of a national university, and currently works for a major machinery manufacturer. He was raised according to the wishes of his wife, a full-time housewife.”
“My wife interferes too much and it scares me. That’s why my eldest son naturally learned to live by thinking, ‘I’m easily influenced by women’s opinions.’ But I think my son couldn’t understand that. My wife said, “She’s a beautiful girl, polite, and considerate,” so they decided to get married.”
Kio graduated from university and joined a life insurance company. He was promoted from sales to headquarters and gained experience in development and personnel. He had confidence in his own views on people.
“During my career as a company employee, I interviewed countless people, such as those from life insurance companies, students, and mid-level employees. As time went on, at some point, I could see what kind of person this person was. Someone who lives their life sincerely. Thoughtful and sincere, in other words, someone who is not easily swayed by others’ opinions and can have a long-term vision for happiness for both themselves and those around them.”
Working for a life insurance company involves dealing with money and lives. In the past, individual discretion was significant, and it felt like fraud could easily be committed.
“There are quotas and pressure, but there are walls that must not be crossed. People who commit fraud live on the surface. That’s why they easily cross walls. They don’t understand the pain and sadness of others.” Such suffering. That’s what it is. My son’s wife was exactly the type.”
His wife was good at accommodating others. When the two families met, Kio’s second son, who lives in a rural area, also came. His wife seemed to have enjoyed the quiet second son a lot, and they chatted. His wife graduated from a prestigious prefectural high school in Kansai and enrolled in a prestigious private university in Tokyo; she currently works for a major company. Kio tried to look at it positively, thinking that maybe he was a hardworking person who had lived in a different culture away from his hometown.”
“However, there was something that bothered me. I didn’t like the conversations with my wife or her parents. They exchanged harsh words like, ‘Can you become the wife of such a wonderful family?’ They also spoke frankly about us.”
No one around me said anything bad about money. When my wife and I were cleaning the house, our maid stole something. We moved. She witnessed her stealing things. She desperately wanted it, so I thought she must have wanted it.”
However, Kio did not point it out or criticize it in front of everyone, but kept it to himself. After his eldest son got married, he continued to keep a moderate distance from his wife.