写真はイメージとして、親孝行の重要性についての話が展開される。親孝行はどうすれば良いのか、合計特殊出生率の分析、都市部での出生率の低下などが取り上げられる。また、家族間の関係や孫との絆についても言及がある。エリート妻や息子の妻の関わり、そしてそれに関連した出来事が物語の中心に据えられる。親との関係や家族の絆を通じて、人間関係の複雑さや課題が描かれる。情報とエピソードが組み合わさり、親子関係の深さや孫への愛情が浮かび上がる。
There is a saying “If you take care of your parents, they will not be around anymore,” which means that people like Ozeki Izumi (Ozeki Seki) regret not being more filial to their parents while they were alive. So, what does filial piety mean? Parents are often told to take their children on trips and meals, but is that really what parents want?
One form of filial piety is “hugging grandchildren,” yet in modern society, the declining birth rate is accelerating, especially in urban areas.
On April 19, 2024, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced a summary of the Vital Statistics Special Report for the period from 2018 to 2022 by each city, ward, town, and village. The data analyzed the “total fertility rate,” which is the number of children a woman gives birth to over her lifetime in each city, ward, town, and village.
Looking at the total fertility rate of cities, wards, towns, and villages from 2018 to 2022, about 60% of the total fertility rate is between 1.2 and 1.5. The town with the highest total fertility rate is Tokunoshima Town, Oshima District, Kagoshima Prefecture (2.25), followed by Ama Town, Oshima District, Kagoshima Prefecture (2.24). The top 17 towns were dominated by Kagoshima and Okinawa prefectures.
On the other hand, the municipality with the lowest total fertility rate is Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture (0.76), followed by Naniwa Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture (0.80). The worst 20 regions are mainly urban areas in Tokyo and Osaka.
Tsunenobu, who lives in a single-family home in the Tokyo metropolitan area with his wife (72), says, “I think having grandchildren is a luxury.”
Elite wife carries samples of high-end cosmetics in her pocket.
Tsunefu once had a granddaughter (13 years old).
“I say ‘was’ in the past tense, but that doesn’t mean she passed away (laughs). My eldest son (42) got divorced two years ago, and custody of the granddaughter went to his ex-wife. I never really liked this wife from the start, and I knew she was no good at first sight, but my son ended up marrying her.”
“My eldest son went on to junior high and high school, then to the engineering department of a national university, and is now working for a major machinery manufacturer. He was raised as a full-time homemaker at his wife’s request.”
“My wife is too overbearing and scary. So, it’s natural that my eldest son has grown to think, ‘easily influenced by women’s opinions.’ But he couldn’t understand it; his wife would say, ‘He wasn’t a good kid.’ She was beautiful, cultured, and very attentive, so I think that’s why they decided to get married.”
“After graduating from college, Norio joined a life insurance company. He was promoted from sales to headquarters, gaining experience in development and human resources. I have confidence in my view of others.”
“I’ve had countless interviews with people during my career as a company employee, from insurance ladies to students to mid-level employees. Eventually, I came to understand what kind of person someone is. He was someone who lived his life honestly.”