Photo/Illutration Divorce papers (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

As the nation grays, a record high percentage of divorced couples in Japan ended their marriages after 20 years together, welfare ministry data showed.

The 2022 statistics showed 38,991 couples, or 23.5 percent, divorced after at least two decades of marriage, the highest rate since records began in 1947.

The number in this category has remained high at around 40,000 for the past two decades despite a decline in the overall number of divorces.

“Because the average lifespan has significantly increased in the postwar period, couples spend a longer time together after their children become independent,” said Atsuko Okano, a divorce counselor and president of Nikkaren, a nonprofit organization offering advice and support for family issues.

“This can highlight underlying differences and tensions, making it impossible for couples to remain together and prompting them to seek a fresh start,” Okano explained.

A total of 179,099 couples divorced in 2022, a nearly 40 percent decrease from the peak of 289,836 in 2002.

The largest group of divorced couples in 2022--52,606 pairs, or over 30 percent of the total—split up within five years of marriage.

However, both the number and proportion of these short-term marital relationships have been declining, likely due to the overall decrease in marriages.

Among late-life divorces: 16,404 couples separated after 20 to 24 years of marriage; 10,829 couples after 25 to 29 years; 5,192 couples after 30 to 34 years; and 6,566 couples after 35 years or more.

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