Japan's all-time low birth number spells disaster for global superpower
While many developed countries are struggling with low birth rates, the problem is particularly acute in Japan where the population has been declining for years.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has called the situation a 'quiet emergency', pledging family-friendly measures like more flexible working hours and free daycare to try and reverse the trend.
Last year, the number of Japanese fell by 908,574, or 0.75 per cent, to 120.65 million.
The decline - for a 16th straight year - was the largest drop since the survey began in 1968, the internal affairs ministry said Wednesday.
The number of births in Japan last year fell below 700,000 for the first time on record, health ministry data released in June said.
The fast-ageing nation welcomed 686,061 newborns in 2024 - 41,227 fewer than in 2023, the data showed. It was the lowest figure since records began in 1899.
At the same time, nearly 1.6 million people died - meaning for every baby born, more than two people died.
Foreign resident totals, however, were at their highest since records began in 2013.
There were 3.67 million foreigners as of January 1, 2025, representing nearly three per cent of the whole population in Japan, which was more than 124.3 million as of that date.
The overall population of the country declined by 0.44 per cent from 2023.
The latest figures come as the government struggles to raise stubbornly low birth rates, while frustration over inflation and other concerns among some voters prompted the rise of a new opposition party with a slogan of 'Japanese First'.
The anti-immigrant party has falsely claimed foreigners enjoy more welfare benefits than Japanese nationals.
Foreign nationals are helping address labour shortages exacerbated by the ageing population, and most commonly hold jobs in the manufacturing, hospitality and retail sectors.
By age, Japanese nationals aged 65 and over accounted for nearly 30 per cent of the population, while the age group between 15 and 64 made up 60 per cent, both minor increases from the previous year.
Japan has the world's second-oldest population after tiny Monaco, according to the World Bank.
More concerning is government models last revised in 2023, which showed Japan's population dropping 30 per cent by 2070.
The shrinking population is also gutting rural communities, with the number of abandoned homes in Japan soaring to almost four million over the last two decades, government data released last year showed.
Many of the homes belong to people living in major cities who have inherited them from relatives and who are unable or unwilling to keep them renovated.
The world's oldest person, Japanese woman Tomiko Itooka, died at the age of 116 in December.
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ABC News
29 minutes ago
- ABC News
Rice nearly sank US tariff talks until Japan finally agreed to take more American grain
For decades, Japan's tight protection of its rice market — a symbol of cultural pride, postwar resilience and self-sufficiency — blocked broader trade deals. Last month, rice was once again a sticking point during negotiations over the US "reciprocal tariffs" with President Donald Trump calling Japan a "spoiled" country that "won't take our rice". However, this time Mr Trump forged what he framed as a tariffs breakthrough: Japan importing more US rice. Rice prices have nearly doubled since last year across Japan. A perfect storm of supply miscalculations and a bad harvest left supermarket shelves bare and sparked rare street protests, triggering the government to release emergency stockpiles. But still the question remains: Are the Japanese public able to stomach foreign rice? Rice is integral to history and political power in Japan. Rice planting festivals remain an important ritual in rural areas, alongside offerings to ancestors during ceremonies to gods or weddings. "It's a delicate tightrope between price and protecting our identity," said Yusuke Yokoyama, a Tokyo resident, who noticed many local restaurants had stopped offering free "refill" rice. "People in Japan are generally happy to have lower prices for rice, but they also don't want to import it," he said. In the late 19th century, as Japan faced geopolitical tensions while opening up to the West, rice was even woven into the military transformation. Mr Yokoyama explained that many Japanese were aware of the historical connection of rice as a symbol of Japanese identity and sovereignty. For example, a "rice wage" was an incentive to recruit soldiers, expanding from the previous exclusive samurai class. In a nation where rice farming has been politically protected since the 1970s, the crisis is exposing the structural fragility of its agricultural sector. Rice emerged as a top-three issue for voters in polling ahead of recent municipal elections, as customers and restaurants struggled with inflation and the far-right Sanseito party capitalised on the outrage. CoCo ICHIBANYA, Japan's largest curry rice restaurant chain, raised its menu prices and saw a 5.2 per cent drop in customers between September last year and this year. Retailers are resorting to marketing gimmicks. Convenience store chain Lawson began selling rice balls made from the older grain, labelling them as "2023 Vintage" onigiri. The attempt at humour — or damage control — was mocked online. For decades, Tokyo maintained one of the most rigid agricultural systems in the developed world. Under the now-defunct "gentan" policy, farmers were paid not to grow rice, and strict production targets were set to manage supply. "Japan previously paid farmers to leave their fields fallow," said Jeffrey Kingston, professor of History and Asian Studies at Temple University Japan. "The idea was to keep prices stable. But now we see how this entire system — combined with high tariffs and climate shocks — has become untenable." Instead, it has contributed to what he describes as a "Byzantine" distribution network and mindset. "The youngest farmer I know is 65," Mr Kingston said. "The aging population will have adverse effects on the sector whether Tokyo likes it or not." Nicole Freiner, author of Rice and Agricultural Policies in Japan, said the government's program to subsidise farmers to limit rice production because of declining demand was short-sighted. "Even if Japan utilised most of its usable land, it still would not be self-sufficient," she said. Instead, she encouraged the government to react more to consumers switching to wheat-based food. "This policy created a lack of incentive for rice-growing that left rice paddies abandoned, with no opportunities for young farmers," Ms Freiner said. Japan's protectionist stance has long frustrated international trade partners. The United States, in particular, has pushed for greater access to Japan's rice market and the Trump administration made it their mission during the recent tariff negotiations. Some netizens pushed back, sharing clips of an anime film where a Japanese character tells a pushy US politician that Japanese consumers prefer home-grown rice over California rice. Japan imports 770,000 tonnes of foreign rice annually — but much of it has traditionally been used for processing or animal feed, not table rice. Tokyo reached a deal with Washington in the latest tariff deal, increasing the proportion of US rice allocated for household consumption. Mr Trump claimed that Japan had "caved" to US demands. Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba pushed back. "We made absolutely no sacrifice in the agricultural sector," he told local media. Marcel Thieliant, Asia Pacific analyst at Capital Economics, said Japan had negotiated cautiously, keeping the overall import quota unchanged, but a larger share of that quota would now come from the US, rather than other countries. He rejected the narrative from Washington of a sweeping victory. "I'm not aware of any plans to actually liberalise the market by lifting the import quota," he told the ABC. Other analysts said the proportion change of staple rice imports — even within existing frameworks — may have signalled a gradual shift away from hardline protectionism. "The [US] side deal is significant in symbolic terms; it may be an indication that Tokyo is becoming more willing to open its rice market — at least, when it needs help," Ms Freigner said. "Whether or not these changes take hold and become more entrenched is not clear yet," she added. For ordinary citizens, many remain uneasy and some local broadcasters have directed the blame at the rise in foreign tourists — including Australians — as Japan records an all-time high for international tourism figures. "As the yen falls, locals have started to become angry," said Mr Kingston. "They watch foreigners swaggering about, buying up real estate and eating cheap, while local households feel the pinch of inflation — even in their daily meal of rice." The situation, he added, had created "a sense of malaise gripping people here". Japan is struggling with low wages and inflation. Since the July agreement, Japanese supermarket prices have fallen following the government's release of stockpiled rice. But prices are still nearly double the same time last year. Industry analysts note that the increase in imports of rice for human consumption has been modest so far relative to the scale of the domestic supply shortfall, and distribution has yet to catch up with rising consumer demand. Last year's harvest was devastated by record-breaking heat. And with meteorological extremes becoming more common, experts say Japan's model of matching production to slowly declining demand is no longer sufficient. "Climate is affecting harvesting rice and other products," said Mr Yokoyama. "The policy may have to change. Our food security is not high, and people are starting to understand that now." A sense of frustration has grown among farmers, angry at the regulations limiting how much rice they can grow, which spilled over into protests earlier this year. Japan's food self-sufficiency rate has languished around 30–40 per cent for decades. Despite pledges to raise it, little has changed. One approach could be to subsidise farmers' production of rice instead of paying them not to, and export the surplus. "What the government should do now is stop subsidising crop conversion," said Yusaku Yoshikawa, an agricultural aid consultant with Japanese Official Development Assistance Projects. Already, the government has dipped into emergency stockpiles to manage supply, but analysts warn that short-term fixes can't resolve long-term instability. They must also be careful not to overcorrect, as producing too much rice now could lead to a glut and cause prices to crash. "We're in a delicate moment," Mr Yoshikawa said. "We've gone from rice scarcity last year to needing policy imagination. What's needed now is not just price control."
SBS Australia
17 hours ago
- SBS Australia
Impact of Taliban rule on women and girls decried by advocates in Australia on anniversary
Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts . "Before 2021, we had women pilots, women in the army, women doctors, women in the parliament, and women running for the presidential elections in Afghanistan. While currently we are talking is 2025, people might think that the speed of progress for women might have multiplied, but to be really honest, it has gone to stone age. Women are deprived of work, girls are deprived of schools, of universities." That's Khalid Amiri, a former journalist for a state broadcaster in Afghanistan. He tells SBS News about the situation for women in Afghanistan today, saying it has worsened since the country's capital city of Kabul was captured by the Taliban four years ago. The United Nations says more than 78 percent of Afghan women are not in education, employment or training. In its latest report, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan says women's movements in public spaces is heavily restricted, with numerous cases of women being detained for allegedly breaching the dress code requirements. A Taliban spokesperson, Zabiullah Mujahid, told SBS Pashto, the Taliban takes a different view. "Women have now found a place for themselves that was their rightful Sharia-based right, from which they had been deprived for many years. Nowadays, they have access to it, they can easily obtain their rights, make their own decisions and determine their own destiny in life." Since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban authorities have reinstated a ban on females accessing education after sixth grade. Mr Mujahid says the Taliban is still considering ways to change the education curriculum to better align with Islamic principles and Afghan culture. "It was initially stated that this is a temporary decision and that the needs would be assessed. We want to find a way that respects our Sharia principles and also achieves consensus in society." As Afghanistan emerged from a civil war, from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban controlled most of the country, imposing their interpretation of Sharia or Islamic religious law. In 2001, it was removed from power by a US-led invasion, but retook control when US forces left 20 years later - in 2021. Ever since, it has sought international recognition. In July this year, Russia announced itself as the first country to formally recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan. Mr Mujahid says it understands the role of diplomacy. "But when you are not recognised by anyone and the diplomatic door is closed and then they have demands, it is not effective. We value our relations with Australia. We seek good relations with this country, with the Australian nation and with the Afghans residing in Australia. Consular services should be provided responsibly to the Afghan community living in Australia." An independent UN investigator on human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, delivered a report to the UN General Assembly earlier this month in which he says the legal and judicial system are being used to oppress women and girls. He cited actions like the suspension of laws protecting women and girls, including a landmark law that criminalised 22 forms of violence such as rape and forced marriage. Maryam Zahid is the CEO of Afghan Women On the Move, a group that focuses on empowering women through digital and financial literacy, women's health advocacy and employment. "I came as a refugee myself 26 years ago and when I arrived in Australia under Women at Risk Program - and it has been 30 years that I was forced to leave Afghanistan. So it's been a long time for me to say it with confidence and say it telling the truth of how much the systematic barriers and the outdated laws and policies that looked at the refugees, especially women." She describes the situation back home. "Since the fall of Kabul and how much the patriarchal society now, it's kind of dominating the rights of women in Afghanistan. It's not as easy as we wish to kind of work with them. Even behind the scenes, even sending them money. It's quite risky for them to go and pick up money regardless of which terms we kind of send them." She says safety is a key issue - and there are risks from the misuse of artificial intelligence and social media that have put women in Afghanistan in danger. "Those images used against these women. And there were some even they were reported to Taliban and Taliban directly went and found them and yeah, they get warnings and they get abused." She says leaders in Australia should put their words into action. "Leaders should go beyond issuing statements. They should stand in solidarity with Afghan women. It's kind of sad to see that we are ignoring half of the population in a country, but also the diaspora that also women like me experienced Taliban. And we know the impact of those type of trauma that lasts with you forever." Khalid Amiri was a broadcast journalist in his home country - and now resides in Melbourne. He says he has not forgotten what life was like in Afghanistan that forced him to flee in 2021. "On 15th of August, Kabul fell to the Taliban and it was the worst nightmare that came true for all of us. And it was the biggest definition of betrayal by the international community towards the Afghans. How they threw Afghans to a regime that was killing them. And now this regime came into power and the entire international community was like: 'oh, we packed up our bags and we are leaving and the Afghans know what to do with it'." He says he is affected by survivor's guilt - wondering why he was able to escape the situation, but others still struggle to leave the country. "Why is the international community not listening to the plea of those Afghan girls left in Afghanistan? With my family that I speak to every day, to be really honest, it's not a brighter picture or it's not a positive picture that I get on daily basis from them. Particularly with the younger ones, they don't see a future for their self. Every youngster you meet is trying to find a way to leave the country." He says for those who can't make it to western countries, they are compelled to go to the neighbouring countries including Pakistan and Iran where they could face severe torture from the police. Mr Amiri says Iran has been sending back refugees to Afghanistan, which is another issue for the people who escaped the Taliban reprisals. "And the thing that makes us very upset is the deafening silence of world leaders. All we see is just a few tweets coming up on social media from them of condemnation. While there are no concrete steps being taken." Patrick Ryan is an independent humanitarian advocate for the former Afghan locally engaged staff of the Australian Embassy in Kabul. He used to be the facilities manager there. Mr Ryan says he was very pleased when DFAT reached out to him last year to help with the verification of some of their contracted employees that worked at the Australian embassy. "Since Australia made its intention to vacate the embassy in Kabul in May 2021, I began a fairly sustained advocacy campaign that ran for six months that involved assembling a delegation of representatives for the contracted employees at the embassy to organise their colleagues to make Afghan LEE ((Afghan Locally Engaged Employee Program)) applications to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade." The LEE program was established by the Australian government in 2012 as a pathway for priority processing for humanitarian visas for Afghan nationals who were employed with the Australian government in Afghanistan; and are at risk of harm due to their employment. It closed in May last year, but outstanding visa applications are still being processed. Since 2012, the program has helped more than 2,500 Afghans and their families to arrive in Australia. Mr Ryan says he understands there are 13 people he is helping who remain either stranded in Afghanistan or in third countries awaiting an outcome - and much more needs to be done to ensure their safety. "The Senate inquiry and the review of the immigration instrument 12 1 27 has taken nearly three years. During that time there's been no processing of anyone under any of the contracted employees under the Afghan LEE [[locally engaged employee]] special humanitarian visa program. And now we're seeing amendments made by the Albanese government excluding some of the people who may have previously been eligible for that program." He says he knows of two people awaiting a visa outcome who were in Tehran after attending the embassy for biometric and medical checks, when a missile attack took place. "They then came under attack during the conflict between Iran and Israel. Some of them had to make lengthy journeys on foot to get out of Tehran and had to go back into Afghanistan into hiding whilst waiting for their visas." But he says there is still hope. "I'm very happy that our youngest member of staff, who I'll just call 'Khader' at the moment to protect his identity, is going to be arriving in Adelaide later this month, nearly four years after the fall of Kabul. He was only 14 years old when he worked at the embassy as an apprentice painter. He's since gained his degree in engineering at Kabul Polytechnic, and he's going to be settling with relatives in Adelaide soon." He says it's really important for the Australian government and Department of Home Affairs to make sure that Afghan LEE visa processing is expedited. "I'm rather hoping that the government will streamline this process so there can be expedited for people who are still here four years out, so deserving of Australia's protection for the service they gave us in Afghanistan during our 20 year occupation."
The Australian
a day ago
- The Australian
Japan's emperor expresses 'deep remorse' 80 years after WWII
Tens of thousands of people braved blazing heat to pay their respects at a controversial Japanese shrine on Friday, as Emperor Naruhito spoke of his "deep remorse" on the 80th anniversary of the nation's World War II surrender. Two cabinet ministers were among the visitors to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, which honours 2.5 million mostly Japanese soldiers who perished since the late 19th century but also enshrines convicted war criminals. Trips to the shrine by government officials have angered countries that suffered Japanese military atrocities, particularly China and South Korea. Naruhito said he felt "a deep and renewed sense of sorrow" in a sombre speech alongside Empress Masako in an indoor arena in the centre of the Japanese capital, where the national flag flew at half-mast outside. "My thoughts are with the numerous people who lost their precious lives in the last war and their bereaved families," the 65-year-old said. "Reflecting on our past and bearing in mind the feelings of deep remorse, I earnestly hope that the ravages of war will never again be repeated." Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba also addressed the ceremony, pledging "to uphold the painful memories of war... passing them down across generations, and pursue actions toward lasting peace". Ishiba, a political moderate, sent a customary offering to Yasukuni, according to Kyodo news. No Japanese prime minister has visited the shrine since 2013, when a trip by then-premier Shinzo Abe sparked fury in Beijing and Seoul, and a rare diplomatic rebuke from close ally the United States. China's foreign ministry said an official had made "solemn representations" with Japan's embassy in Beijing over Friday's visit, according to an online statement. - Reflection, wrongdoings - With temperatures above 30C in the picturesque grounds around the shrine, there was a sea of umbrellas as people tried to shelter from the sun. At least two people became unwell in the heat and were forced to seek help. Takashi Eguchi, a 53-year-old graphic designer from Tokyo, told AFP Yasukuni served as an accessible place in the heart of the city for ordinary people to reflect on the nation's history. "We live in a moment when wars have broken out or are likely to break out in various places," he said. "So I came here to look back at what Japan has done, including its failures." Another visitor, who gave only his surname Harada, came dressed in a Japanese imperial army uniform to honour the sacrifice of the war dead. "I know the time will come when war veterans will no longer be with us. I wanted to do my part to continue their legacy," said the 39-year-old from the central prefecture of Nagano. "You have to look at all aspects of wars. Good things and bad things happened." Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi, seen as a potential future prime minister, paid a visit to the shrine in the early morning, as he does annually on August 15. He was followed later by another cabinet member, finance minister Katsunobu Kato. Ishiba's chief political rival Sanae Takaichi -- who leads the nationalist wing of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party -- was also there, as were members of the "Japanese first" Sanseito party that made strong gains in July's upper house election with its "anti-globalist" drive. Naruhito, Masako and their daughter Princess Aiko are due to visit Nagasaki next month to meet survivors of the devastating atomic bomb and honour the war dead in what is reportedly the emperor's first trip there since he acceded to the throne in 2019. hih-nf-tmo-aph-mya/reb/sco
