Around the world more and more people are opting for the single life but in Japan, loneliness has become an epidemic. Marriage and childbirth rates are falling, as more and more young Japanese choose to stay single and childless. Relationships are too difficult, they say. In the country's last Fertility Survey, figures showed that a quarter of women in their 30s were single, and half of those weren't interested in having a relationship. Many Japanese adults aren't even having sex. It's estimated around 10 per cent of people in their 30s are still virgins. By 2040, it's estimated nearly half of Japan's population will be single.