The shelf · Japan
Does Fūfu to iu Tanin (Spouses, Strangers to Each Other) hold up?
Fūfu to iu Tanin (Spouses, Strangers to Each Other), by Akiko Shimoju (2018)
An essay on marriage and solitude by a writer and former NHK announcer.
The short answer
Its publisher's figure swaps households for people.
The claims, checked
By 2040, four in ten Japanese will live alone (publisher's description).
Does not hold Four in ten is the projected share of households (43.5% in 2040). The people living alone will be about one in five of the population.
Evidence: National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, 2024