“The index of baby names has been confirmed to be a valid indicator of individualism,” he continues. “Empirical evidence shows that common names are less frequently given to babies in more individualistic nations”, such as the United States, Canada and New Zealand. Noticing the paucity of similar research in Japan, his work seeks to address the phenomenon in more than an anecdotal context and root it in societal shifts. In other research, Ogihara contextualised this trend as part of other 'indices of individualism', such as Japan’s rising marriage-to-divorce ratio, and the decrease in three-generation households over 60 years.
