Japan in its 50s, China in its 30s; new poll on Japanese

If Japan was a person, it would be in its 50s. By contrast, China would be a little over 30, slightly younger than India and more than a decade younger than Italy, Reuters reported.

According to 1,700 Japanese who replied to the online survey, their nation, at an average age of 51.7, was the oldest of nine nations from Asia, Europe and the United States, said Hakuhodo Institute of Life and Learning, a research center affiliated with advertising giant Hakuhodo DY Holdings. More than half said Japan Sun was in its 50s or 60s.

Giant neighbor China was the youngest at 31.5 years, Singapore came in at 32.5 years, and India was 32.7.

"The fact that China appeared to be so much younger probably reflects the sense most Japanese have of it being a nation that's full of energy," said a researcher.

"We'd expected Japan to have an image as an older nation, but not by quite that much."

Japan was closely followed by the United States at 47.3 and Sweden at 45.8, the survey said. Italy was 44.6 years old.

Asked the reasons for their answers about Japan, many respondents said they felt their nation had lost its way and was running out of steam, living on memories of past glory.

"We've peaked out as an economic superpower and neighboring countries want nothing to do with us. My sense is that we're a country of the past," a woman said.

일 국민, "일본은 51.7세, 중국은 31.5세"

일본 국민은 자신의 나라, 일본을 사람으로 치면 50대 초반일 것이라고 생각하는 것으로 한 연구소의 설문조사 결과 나타났습니다.

하쿠호도 생활종합연구소가 자국민 1,700명을 대상으로 최근 온라인 설문조사를 벌인 결과, 일본의 나이에 대한 응답이 평균 51.7세로 아시아와 유럽, 미국 등 9개 비교국 가운데 가장 늙은 나라로 생각하는 것으로 밝혀졌습니다.

응답자들은 중국에 대해선 평균 31.5세로 가장 젊다는 이미지를 가졌으며, 싱가포르는 32.5세, 인도가 32.7세로 뒤를 이었습니다.

미국은 47.3세로 일본 다음으로 늙은 나라로 비쳐졌으며, 스웨덴 45.8세, 이탈리아 44.6세로 나타났습니다.

일본인들 스스로 일본의 나이를 이렇게 많이 본 이유에 대해 많은 응답자들은 일본이 길을 잃고 기력이 다한 채 과거의 영광 속에 살고 있다는 느낌 때문이라고 설명했습니다.