Japanese generations, in numbers
Japan names its generations after the times they grew up in: a baby boom, a bubble, an "ice age" of hiring, a school curriculum. For each one, we show the definition (from public agencies where one exists), what they lived through and at what age, public statistics, and a simulation from the game.
- Dankai generation (Japan's baby boomers)Japan's postwar baby boom generation, born 1947–1949. Japan's Cabinet Office white papers define it as people born in Showa 22–24 (1947–49).
- Shirake generationA nickname for Japanese people who came of age in the 1970s, after the student movement faded; roughly those born in the early-to-mid 1950s. There is no official definition.
- Shinjinrui (the "new breed")A label that spread in the mid-1980s for young Japanese whose values seemed new; usually people born in the early 1960s. There is no official definition.
- Bubble generationJapanese people who started work during the late-1980s asset bubble, roughly those born 1965–1970. There is no official definition.
- Dankai junior (second baby boom)The children of Japan's baby boomers, born in the second baby boom of 1971–1974. Japan's Cabinet Office defines them as people born 1971–74.
- Employment ice age generationJapanese people who looked for their first jobs between about 1993 and 2004, after the bubble burst. The Japanese government defines the group by that job-hunting period.
- Yutori generationJapanese people who went to school under the 1998–99 national curriculum, in force from fiscal 2002 (elementary and junior high) and 2003 (high school). Usually people born around 1987–2003.
- Satori generationA label from the early 2010s for young Japanese described as having few material wants and living cautiously; roughly people born from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s. There is no official definition.
- Gen Z in JapanJapanese people who grew up with the internet and smartphones, roughly those born from the late 1990s to the early 2010s. The term came from abroad and has no official definition in Japan.
| Generation | Born | Age in 2026 | Births | Avg. age at death (sim) | University grads (sim) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dankai generation (Japan's baby boomers) | 1947–1949 | 77–79 | 8,057,054 | 82.1 | 23.8% |
| Shirake generation | 1950–1955 | 71–76 | 11,848,670 | 82.6 | 27.2% |
| Shinjinrui (the "new breed") | 1961–1965 | 61–65 | 8,407,967 | 83.2 | 33.8% |
| Bubble generation | 1965–1970 | 56–61 | 10,816,211 | 83 | 29.3% |
| Dankai junior (second baby boom) | 1971–1974 | 52–55 | 8,161,627 | 83.7 | 39.7% |
| Employment ice age generation | 1971–1982 | 44–55 | 21,623,743 | 83.4 | 41% |
| Yutori generation | 1987–2003 | 23–39 | 20,592,669 | 83.9 | 51.3% |
| Satori generation | 1987–1995 | 31–39 | 11,174,959 | 83.8 | 50.9% |
| Gen Z in Japan | 1996–2010 | 16–30 | 17,005,950 | 84.2 | 56.5% |
Real dataStatistics on this page
- Births and total fertility rate: MHLW Vital Statistics (Japanese nationals in Japan; Okinawa excluded until 1972)
- University entry rate: MEXT School Basic Survey (university entrants, including those who entered after a gap year, divided by junior high graduates three years earlier)
- Jobs-to-applicants ratio: MHLW, annual average for all job seekers at public employment offices, not only new graduates
- Definitions: the public documents cited on each page
AssumptionGame simulation
- The "game simulation" table comes from running lives in the Born in Japan simulator with default choices
- Wages and life expectancy are based on public statistics, but marriage, job changes and investing include assumptions without a source. Years after 2026 are the game's assumptions
- Money is in today's yen, adjusted for inflation; expect a margin of a few points