Sunday, November 23, 2008

Japan Times Headline on sex

I kid you not: here's the blurb from the front page of the _Japan Times_ for Saturday, November 22, 2008
Business:
All work, no play
The Japan Business Federation is worried the nation's workers aren't having enough sex and wants it member firms to start so-called family weeks to reverse a declining birthrate.

The article on page 8 of the newspaper, the business section, discusses how the 1632 member-firms of the organization are urging employees to leave by 7pm and get special permission before working on the weekend, all aimed at placing value on families instead of the traditional high value placed on hard work.  They believe that the average employee works so hard during the week that he has no time or energy to have sex and therefore procreate. In 2007, the birthrate in Japan stood at 1.24.  The article goes on to mention that many so-called "salary-men" or white collar workers, used some of the extra time off to arrange extra expeditions to favorite bars they frequent, but others are showing up early at home causing children ask fathers if they are ill.  There is a word in Japanese "karoshi" which literally means death from overwork.  It's an all-too common term.

But hey, I'm all for extra time for more sex!  Go Japan!!

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