According to the Global Gender Gap Index 2025, Japan continues to rank low in gender equality, with women facing major disadvantages — especially in politics and the economy. Yet surveys on well-being reveal that men in Japan tend to report lower happiness than women.
Ahead of International Men's Day on November 19, we spoke with Kazuhisa Arakawa, a columnist who studies singlehood and the social position of unmarried men.
Least Happy Demographic
Arakawa has spent more than a decade examining the rise of singlehood — one of the key factors behind Japan's declining births. As part of his research, he has also conducted surveys on happiness.
Both domestic and international data show a consistent pattern, Arakawa explains. Men report lower levels of happiness than women, and middle-aged people tend to be less happy than both younger and older generations. His own findings in Japan reflect these same trends.
When marital status is taken into account, another pattern emerges — unmarried people are generally less happy than those who are married. Among them, middle-aged single men turn out to be the least happy group.
"The decline in happiness during one's 40s and 50s is likely related to aging," says Arakawa. "As we get older, we can't push ourselves the way we used to, and that loss can make us feel less happy — I've felt that myself."
Economic Shifts
During Japan's period of rapid economic growth, many men could offset such declines through stable lifetime employment and salaries that rose with seniority. "But today, with widening economic disparities and more people in irregular jobs, that safety net has disappeared," Arakawa notes.
His research also shows a strong link between lower income levels and higher rates of singlehood, which may help explain why middle-aged single men report the lowest levels of happiness.
Improving Contentment
So how can happiness be improved? Arakawa believes it's essential to move away from the idea that happiness depends on what we have — such as youth, income, or family. He notes that happiness often rises again later in life, perhaps because older people learn to develop a deeper sense of contentment.
Arakawa encourages middle-aged men not to dwell on what they lack or think, "I'm unhappy because I don't have enough." Even if dissatisfaction remains, he says, it's important to focus on what can be done now and take small steps forward, as happiness often follows action. "Even if nine out of ten attempts lead nowhere, if one brings something good, that's enough."
Many men, Arakawa adds, derive their sense of self-worth from their "place" or "role" in society. But those places — schools, companies, organizations — eventually disappear, making it risky to depend on them entirely.
Instead of clinging to a "place to stay," he suggests creating "places to go." Take a walk, get off at an unfamiliar train station, or travel alone. Find meaning in the people, scenery, and culture you encounter, treating each as a unique experience. Taking action, Arakawa concludes, is the most reliable path to greater happiness.
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(Read the article in Japanese.)
Interview by Nami Shinohara, The Sankei Shimbun
