Japanese Prime Minister: Declining birthrate puts nation on the verge of collapse

According to the prime minister of Japan, the nation's declining birth rate puts it in danger of losing its ability to function as a society. As Fumio Kishida put it, "now is the time or never." Less than 800,000 births are thought to have occurred in Japan, which has a population of 125 million, last year. The number was over two million in the 1970s. Many nations, including Japan's neighbors, are seeing a slowdown in birth rates. But because of the recent increase in life expectancy in Japan, there are now more elderly people than there are workers to care for them, making the problem more acute there. After the tiny state of Monaco, Japan now has the second-highest percentage of people 65 and older in the world, at about 28%. Mr. Kishida told lawmakers that Japan was "on the precipice of whether we can continue to function as a society." "Paying attention to child-rearing and child-related policies is a matter that cannot wait and cannot be delayed." He stated that he eventually wants the government to double the amount it spends on initiatives involving children. In April, he added, a new government organization devoted to the problem would be established. Governments in Japan have attempted to promote similar tactics in the past, but without success. By the end of the century, researchers predicted that Japan's population would decline from a high of 128 million in 2017 to less than 53 million. According to official statistics, the population is currently just under 125 million. Despite some relaxations, Japan has continued to enforce strict immigration laws, but some experts now argue that the restrictions should be further loosened to help Japan address its aging population. A number of factors, such as rising living costs, an increase in the number of working and educated women, and easier access to contraception, which encourages women to choose to have fewer children, all contribute to declining birth rates. China announced its first population decline in 60 years last week. Immigration-related hostility has not changed After tiny Monaco, Japan has the oldest population in the entire world. There are less births being recorded than ever before. It might lose a fifth of its current population by 2050. Its opposition to immigration, however, has not changed. In contrast to the UK, where 15% of people are foreign-born, only about 3% of people in Japan are. Right-wing movements in Europe and America highlight it as a shining example of racial purity and social harmony. But contrary to what those admirers may believe, Japan is not entirely monoethnic. The Ainu of Hokkaido, the southern Okinawans, half a million ethnic Koreans, and nearly a million Chinese are present. Then there are Japanese children, including my own three, who have one foreign parent. These bilingual children are referred to as "hafu," which is a derogatory term that is common in this country. They include famous people and legendary athletes, like Naomi Osaka, a tennis player. They are revered in popular culture as being "more beautiful and talented." But to be accepted is quite different from being idolized. Japan is a good place to start if you want to see what happens to a nation that rejects immigration as a remedy for declining fertility. Here, real wages have not increased in 30 years. Taiwan and South Korea have even surpassed Japan in terms of income. However, change seems far away. The rigid hierarchy that establishes who controls the levers of power is partially to blame.