The data underscores the challenges premier Shinzo Abe faces in dragging the economy out of stagnation. Credit:Chris Goodney The number of men with no sexual experience drops with age, but it's still large at 34: 26.1 per cent. For women age 34, it's somewhat less, but not by much - 23.8 per cent. That's not to say that all of them wish to remain single. Mr Ochiai says his research indicates that nearly 90 per cent of single people would like eventually to marry. The Japanese government gives similar estimates. Still, it's easy enough to find Japanese who have little interest in developing a relationship. Yuki Kobari, who's in his 30s, says he used to date several years ago, but that becoming involved with someone now would be a burden. Now his spare time is pretty much his own. "I can devote myself to my hobbies and do what I want," he explained.

Not interesting for many Japanese: sexual services for sale in Tokyo's Kabuki-cho entertainment district. Credit:AP He acknowledges that might not always be his preference, though he feels he has time yet before he must worry about making a commitment. His estimate: four or five years. Then, he says, "it's going to be the time when you have to make a decision." Helping to drive the lack of interest in marriage is a change in Japan's conservative social mores. Thirty-one percent of single Japanese admit that relief from family pressure is one motivation for picking a partner. But that pressure is decidedly less now than it used to be. Plus, it's easier to be single now. "The world is pretty established as single-person-based, so there is not much inconvenience," said another 30-something Japanese. "I cannot really imagine having people in my life."

That, he says hesitantly, includes potential sex partners. "To be honest, basically, how can I say? Well, I do not want people in my life, so sex is included here." Perhaps not surprisingly, he asked that his name not be published. Large Japanese cities offer every imaginable convenience tailored specifically to singles' needs - including physical. Even lifelike sex dolls are easily found for those who want the human touch without touching a human. For many Japanese singles, apparently, there's no need for a live partner. Japan's long economic malaise might be another factor that weighs against establishing a long-term relationship - especially for women. One 30-something woman, who asked not to be identified because of the personal nature of the topic, said she last had a boyfriend eight years ago and that she currently feels no need for a physical relationship. As for a commitment of other sorts, the economy is the turnoff. "The main reason is, after all, a financial problem," she said. The lack of interest in sex is not limited to singles. According to a survey by the Japan Family Planning Association conducted last year, 44.6 per cent of married couples say they are in a sexless marriage. Some of the main reasons include work fatigue and childbirth. What is surprising, though, is that 10.1 per cent of male and 23.8 per cent of female respondents say they find sex to be too much work, another 10.1 per cent of males and 5.4 per cent of females have come to think of their spouse as a blood relative, and 4.5 per cent of males and 5.9 per cent of females say that they have other activities they find more interesting than sex.

That augurs poorly for Japan's birthrate, computed as the number of children the average Japanese woman is expected to have in her lifetime. At 1.4, it's one of the lowest in the world. In 1985, it was 1.8, the same as the United States' rate then; now the U.S. rate has inched up to 1.9. The population decline is no longer considered a passing trend, but rather a looming catastrophe that threatens the future of the nation. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made it a key policy goal to tackle the birthrate problem and prevent the nation from slipping further socially and economically. But there's no clear answer for how he'll accomplish this. He recently set up a special committee to come up with proposals. But the impact of those proposals, likely to include items like more child care for working mothers and tax breaks for couples with children, remains unknown. TNS Follow FairfaxForeign on Twitter