Where have all the princesses gone?

One thing you immediately notice about Disney Tokyo is the absolute scarcity of princesses. You'll find a fair share of Minnies, Alices, even an occasional pirate or Mike Wazowski. There's an occasional Snow White or Rapunzel, but they are way outnumbered by the non-royal Disney family.

Contrast this to a typical morning at Disney World in Orlando, where every morning the Princess Parade walks through Downtown Disney, with ladies-in-waiting and cheering crowds, finally ending at the carousel where the princesses take their victory lap on their faithful steed.

I have a couple of theories about this difference - what I call the Princess Gap.

1) If Japanese people really prefer not standing out, the last thing you would want to be is a princess. They're unique, headstrong, and the story (especially modern ones) start and end with them never fitting in as they should. Think Ariel, Belle, Mulan.
2) Dressing up at the parks extends into the adult population, and no adult is going to be walking around as a princess. The kids follow suit.

Or, this is one of the newest theories I'm considering. The younger Japanese generation seem to be turning up their noses at "happily ever after" or even just plain encounters with the opposite sex. 61% of unmarried men and 49% of women aged 18-34 were not in any kind of romantic relationship. 33% of Japanese people don't believe in marriage. The Japan Family Planning Association learned that 45% of women and more than a quarter of men "were not interested in or despised sexual contact."

Whoa.

So much for Prince Charming or his blushing bride. Is it possible that the falling birth rate in Japan has to do with the Princess Gap?

Pirates don't need princes.

By the way, the falling birth rate leads to other interesting challenges for the future of Disney Japan, which so far they seem to be handling well. But I'll leave that for another day.