Nearly 12% of Japanese children dream of becoming a cake shop or bakery worker. —AFP
What do Japanese children really want to do when they grow up? A recent survey offers fascinating insight into their professional aspirations.
This survey, reported by the Japan Times, was carried out by the Kuraray Group among 4,000 Japanese children enrolling in elementary school in 2025.
The results reveal aspirations that are sometimes expected and sometimes surprising, but always revealing. At the top of the list of kids’ most coveted jobs is cake shop and bakery worker, chosen by 11.7% of the children surveyed.
Police officer (10.5%) and athlete (8.5%) follow, classic choices that are as popular as ever.
Among boys, uniformed professions remain popular. In fact, 16.1% of Japanese boys dream of becoming police officers, making it their top choice for the first time in two years.
Sports careers, particularly in soccer and baseball, appeal to 15.4% of boys. Baseball, especially, has seen a surge in interest, reaching its highest level in 15 years. In another sign of the times, YouTuber comes fifth with 4.8% of boys’ votes.
As for girls, their preferences have evolved little, but change could be afoot.
For the 27th year running, cake shop and bakery worker remains in first place, but is only cited by 20.2% of female respondents, its lowest score ever. Artistic careers such as TV presenter, singer or model take second place with 9.7%, followed by nursery worker with 6.4%.
Child population in decline
But behind these children’s dreams lies a more worrying reality. Japan’s child population is shrinking year-on-year. In May’s Children’s Day, the Ministry of the Interior released some alarming figures. There are now just 13.66 million children under the age of 15 in Japan – 350,000 fewer than last year.
This is the 44th consecutive annual decline, and the lowest figure since comparable statistics began in 1950, according to the Japan Times.
Children now account for just 11.1% of the Japanese population, an all-time low. Worldwide, only one other country with a population of over 40 million fares worse: South Korea.
All age brackets are affected by this demographic phenomenon. There are 2.22 million children between the ages of zero and two; 2.5 million between three and five; 2.78 million between six and eight; 3.02 million between nine and 11; and 3.14 million between 12 and 14.
None of Japan’s 47 prefectures have been spared this year-on-year decline, although Tokyo and Kanagawa still have child populations of more than a million. Okinawa has the highest share of children, with 15.8% under the age of 15, while Akita has the lowest, with just 8.8%.
So, while Japan’s children may imagine themselves behind a bakery counter, in a police uniform or in front of a camera, paradoxically, there are fewer and fewer of them to turn these dreams into reality.
This demographic reality highlights the major challenges already facing the archipelago, and which will undoubtedly weigh even more heavily in the years to come. – AFP Relaxnews
