1 in 4 Divorcing Couples in Japan Are 'Twilight Divorces'… 'Personality Differences' Most Common

While the total number of divorces in Japan is declining, the proportion of so-called "twilight divorces" among middle-aged and older couples has hit a record high.

Citing the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's demographic statistics, the Mainichi Shimbun reported on the 8th that the proportion of "mature divorces" out of all divorces stood at 24.2% last year.

"Mature divorce" refers to the divorce of couples who have lived together for 20 years or more, a concept similar to twilight divorce in South Korea.

South Korea's Statistics Korea defines twilight divorce as divorce among those aged 60 and older.

Last year, total divorces in Japan fell by 6,831 cases to 179,073 from 185,904 the previous year, but the share of mature divorces rose 0.4 percentage points from the previous year to 24.2%.

The proportion of mature divorces has continued to rise since first surpassing 20% in 2019.

A significant portion of mature divorces is estimated to be at the request of wives.

According to the Annual Report of Judicial Statistics, 26.4% of divorce cases handled by courts last year were filed by couples married for 20 years or more.

Cases filed by wives were about twice as common as those filed by husbands, and "personality differences" was the most common motive for divorce among both men and women.

For wives, reasons such as "failure to provide living expenses" and "violence" followed, while for husbands, the subsequent reasons were "mental abuse" and "extramarital affairs."

The spread of social media and changing values are cited as reasons for the increasing proportion of mature divorces.

Mainichi analyzed that "the spread of social media has made it easier to obtain divorce information and compare one's situation with others," adding that "weakening awareness of gender-based division of roles and the stigma attached to divorce have also influenced the rising rate of mature divorces."

It also explained that "growing societal awareness of domestic violence between couples appears to have served as a catalyst for the increase in mature divorces."

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.