The UNICEF report on Child Wellbeing and life in Japan

One of the key reasons my husband and I have opted to stay here in Japan for as long as we have is because of the way we can raise our kids here. A recent report on children's wellbeing from UNICEF both reaffirmed some things that I felt I already knew from life here, while offering a reminder on things to be aware of.

Image created via Canva

Japan ranked 14th overall on a list of 36 developed countries, which was an improvement from 20th place in 2020 -- a good sign, overall! The real star of the show was the 1st place ranking in children's physical health, and I do think the lifestyle here just means we're outside a lot more than we would be in our home countries. For my family I don't know if that's Japan life, per se, or more a factor of living in the countryside, but I think it's notable nonetheless.

One key downside, though, was the mental health aspect -- life satisfaction for teens had dropped, but this seemed to be across most countries, not just Japan. The UNICEF report honed in on the impact of the pandemic on children's lives, and this could be a potential reason for the decrease.

Do you find raising children in Japan to be preferable to your country of origin? Are there any standout reasons as to why?