Speaking Of: : Being Young On an Average Day In Japan and the United States

Is it the land of the rising son? Many believe Japan’s focus on education and social conformity in young people propels its economic juggernaut. And indeed, Japans youths study more and get arrested less often than Americans. But they also smoke more and watch more TV. On this page is a statistical slice from Tom Heymann’s new book “On an Average Day in Japan.” In making comparisons, note that the United States has about twice as many people age 19 and under as Japan: 71.7 million versus 33.2 million.

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On an average day, these numbers of young people. . .

5,041 Japanese become teen-agers.

8,838 Americans become teen-agers.

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475 Japanese children find themselves in one-parent families because of divorce.

2,989 American children find themselves in one-parent families because of divorce.

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124 young Japanese women under the age of 20 become pregnant. Of those, 77 will receive abortions and 47 will give birth to babies.

2,064 young American women under the age of 20 become pregnant. Of those, 769 will receive abortions and 1,295 will give birth to babies.

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287 children run away from home in Japan. Of those, 148 are boys, 139 are girls.

2,740 American children run away from home.

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10 Japanese children die from birth-related defects.

122 American children die from birth-related defects.

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2 people under the age of 20 commit suicide in Japan.

7 people under the age of 20 commit suicide in the United States.

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59 Japanese children are arrested or given police guidance for illegal use of drugs.

212 American children are arrested for the possession, sale or manufacture of illegal drugs.

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24,000 Japanese students are studying at American colleges and universities.

1,180 American students are studying at Japanese institutions.

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Japanese school-age children spend an average of...

...7 hours and 1 minute in school(school day) (Japanese children attend school six days per week)

...2 hours and 4 minutes doing homework

...44 minutes playing games and sports

...8 hours and 17 minutes sleeping

...25 minutes reading

...2 hours and 17 minutes watching television

American school-age children spend an average of...

...5 hours and 20 minutes in school(school day)

...25 minutes doing homework

...1 hour and 27 minutes playing games and sports

...8 hours and 57 minutes sleeping

...11 minutes reading

...2 hours and 15 minutes watching television

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337 Japanese children will drop out of school

915 American children will drop out of school

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An average of 2 minutes per day is spent of child-care by men in Japan.

An average of 7 minutes per day is spent of child-care by men in the United States.

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An average of 27 minutes per day is spent of child-care by women in Japan.

An average of 27 minutes per day is spent of child-care by women in the United States.

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8.3 million Japanese under 18 smoke.

3 million Americans under 18 smoke.

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559 Japanese get arrested.

4,477 Americans get arrested.

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Source: On An Average Day in Japan, by Tom Heymann, 1992. Statistics drawn from government agencies, research centers, various publications and other sources.