One Minute History - Japan and the Year of the Fire Horse #shorts
8In 1966, Japan noticed an unprecedented 25% decline in its birthrate compared to the previous year. The reason had nothing to do with war, famine, or any natural disaster but rather superstition. 1966 was the year of the Fire Horse in the 60-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac, and according to Japanese superstition, girls born in that year would grow up to murder their husbands. This belief can be traced back to at least the Edo period, and was inspired at least partly by the famous story of Yaoya Oshichi, a girl supposedly born in the year of the Fire Horse who committed arson in order to get the attention of a man she had fallen in love with. Despite the pleading of countless government officials to ignore the superstitions of a bygone era, many Japanese avoided having children in 1966, and it will be interesting to see if Japanβs already-low birthrate is impacted when the Year of the Fire Horse rolls around again in 2026!