Japan Ranks 118th Again in Latest Global Gender Gap Report
In this week's news roundup we report on the 2025 Global Gender Gap Report and the State of the World Population report. Nintendo announces that it has sold a record 3.5 million
Switch 2
units in the first four days. A foreign owner of a Tokyo apartment building reverses his decision to raise the rent from
¥72,500 to ¥190,000
. Prominent voice actress
Megumi Hayashibara
sparks an online debate with her blog post. And Japan finish their World Cup qualifying campaign in style with a 6-0 hammering of Indonesia.
List of Contents:
Global Gender Gap Report 2025: Japan Remains at 118th Despite Some Progress
UN Report Says Financial Barriers, Not Choice, Driving Global Fertility Crisis
Switch 2 Smashes Nintendo's Record, Selling 3.5 Million Units in Four Days
Outrage After Foreign Landlord Nearly Triples Tokyo Apartment Rent
Evangelion Voice Actress Megumi Hayashibara Deletes 'Invasive Species' Comment on Blog
Japan Hammer Indonesia 6-0 in Final World Cup Qualifier
Related Posts
Global Gender Gap Report 2025: Japan Remains at 118th Despite Some Progress
The World Economic Forum (WEF) released its
2025 Global Gender Gap Report
on Thursday. Japan ranked 118th among 148 countries, the same position as last year. It remains the lowest of the G7 nations. However, it finished with an overall gender parity score of 66.6%, showing a slight improvement on 2024's total of 66.3%. The Swiss-based think tank notes that Japan has increased parity in almost every subindex compared with last year. Most progress came in Economic Participation and Opportunity, where it scored 61.3%, up 4.5% from 12 months ago.
According to the WEF, this shift has been 'boosted by increased rates of women participating in the labour force (from 54.8% to 55.6%), higher representation of women in the senior officials, managers and legislators category (from 14.6% to 16.1%), as well as increased parity in estimated earned income (59.2%, up from 58.3%).' The Political Empowerment category, however, showed a regression, with the score dropping from 11.8% to 8.5%. Ministerial representation has fallen from 25% to 10%. Topping the 2025 Global Gender Gap Report was Iceland with a score of 92.6%. It has led the way for 16 consecutive years.
UN Report Says Financial Barriers, Not Choice, Driving Global Fertility Crisis
The
UN Population Fund (UNFPA)
presented its State of the World Population report on Tuesday. A total of 14,000 people from 14 countries were surveyed about their fertility intentions. Asked how many children they would like, most replied that they wanted two. However, one in five said they haven't had or won't be able to have their desired number of children. Just under 40% of respondents reported that financial barriers— such as the cost of raising children and expensive housing — had affected or would affect their ability to realize their desired family size.
'The world has begun an unprecedented decline in fertility rates,'
said
Doctor Natalia Kanem, the head of the UNFPA. She added, 'Fertility rates are falling in large part because many feel unable to create the families they want. And that is the real crisis.' Last week, the Japanese health ministry released data on the number of births — excluding foreign nationals — in Japan for 2024. With just 686,061 born, it was the first time in recorded history that the figure fell below the 700,000 mark. It was also the ninth consecutive year of decline.
Switch 2 Smashes Nintendo's Record, Selling 3.5 Million Units in Four Days
Nintendo
announced
on Wednesday that it had sold a record 3.5 million Switch 2 units worldwide in the first four days after the launch of the console. It was released on June 5. The astonishing figure surpasses the first month's sales of the original Switch (2.7 million units) and Sony's PlayStation 5 (3.4 million units). In May, Nintendo said that Switch 2 sales would reach 15 million during the current financial year which ends on March 31, 2026. Analysts, however, consider that to be a modest target set by the company.
Serkan Toto, founder of gaming industry consultancy Kantan Games, believes it will sell over 20 million units in the first year. He told
CNBC
, 'All signals prior to launch pointed to significant demand, and I believe we will see further records broken over the next weeks or months.' The coveted console is similar in design to its predecessor, though it has a bigger screen and larger controllers. In Japan, around 2.2 million people applied to the lottery system to buy it. Even before it went on sale, Nintendo started shipping Switch 2 branded 'Out of Stock' signs to retailers.
Outrage After Foreign Landlord Nearly Triples Tokyo Apartment Rent
The foreign owner of a seven-story apartment building in Tokyo's Itabashi ward this week reversed his decision to raise the rent from ¥72,500 to ¥190,000. The reason given for the approximately 2.5-times increase was rising costs. However, it has been suggested that the real reason was to force the residents out, so the vacated apartments could be used as short-term rentals for travelers. When
ANN News
contacted the owner, who is in China, he stated that he would withdraw the rent hike. He added that the elevator, which broke down in May, will be reopened soon.
Residents received a note about the substantial price increase in January. This led to several of them moving out. Those who remain still feel uneasy about the situation. Unknown people with suitcases have been seen entering the building. According to a website that provides information on private accommodations for tourists, a room in the condominium was being rented for ¥25,000 per night. When ANN News checked with Itabashi ward officials, it was confirmed that the notification required to be a private accommodation operator had not been submitted. The apartments will no longer be available as short-term rentals for travelers.
Evangelion Voice Actress Megumi Hayashibara Deletes 'Invasive Species' Comment on Blog
Prominent Japanese voice actress Megumi Hayashibara sparked an online debate earlier this week following her
blog post
on Sunday. The 58-year-old Tokyo native, who's most well known for her role as Rei Ayanami in
Neon Genesis Evangelion
, shared her concerns about Japan's cultural identity and political apathy. The blog, titled 'Indifference, Ignorance, and Not Knowing,' quickly went viral. The comments that drew the most attention regarded international students receiving subsidies and foreign tourists behaving badly. Referring to the latter, she used a metaphor of a Japanese crayfish being overwhelmed by an 'invasive species.'
'If we don't have regulations that are properly enforced, it could become dangerous,' she wrote. 'It will be like how Japanese crayfish were instantly devoured by invasive species. For instance, the Japanese rule of lining up to buy things could end up disappearing.' On Wednesday, Hayashibara deleted the line about the crayfish. 'Part of the way I expressed myself was deemed too extreme, so I removed it,' she wrote. 'I used it to illustrate the kind of person mentioned above, but it has hurt people who are not involved. I will learn. Thank you for letting me know.'
Takefusa Kubo | Image by Saolab Press
Japan Hammer Indonesia 6-0 in Final World Cup Qualifier
Japan finished their World Cup qualifying campaign in style on Tuesday with a comprehensive 6-0 victory over Patrick Kluivert's Indonesia. With top place in the group already assured, Hajime Moriyasu's side demonstrated an impressive display of attacking football. They led 3-0 at the break thanks to a brace from Daichi Kamada and one from captain Takefusa Kubo. Ryoya Morishita, Shuto Machino and substitute Mao Hosoya added three more in the second half. Moriyasu praised his players, but urged them to keep pushing themselves. 'The challenge for the players is to break past their limits and grow,' he
said
.
In boxing, Junto Nakatani became a unified bantamweight champion with a sixth-round technical knockout win over Ryosuke Nishida on Sunday. The two boxers, who went into the fight undefeated, engaged in a slugfest from the outset. Nakatani, though, started to take control in the fifth round, when Nishida's right eye began to swell. By the end of the sixth, he was unable to see incoming punches, so the ringside doctor decided to pull him out. Watching ringside was
Naoya Inoue
. Nakatani versus Inoue, expected to take place next year, will be the biggest fight in the history of Japan.
Related Posts
Japan Births Fall Below 700,000 for the First Time
Japan Attempts To Ban Outlandish Kirakira Baby Names
Number of Foreign Visitors to Japan Hits Yet Another Record High
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Japan Today
9 hours ago
- Japan Today
Arise Sir David! Soccer legend Beckham knighted
Britain's King Charles III speaks with former England captain David Beckham at the Chelsea Flower Show in London in May 2025 By James PHEBY Former England soccer captain and global fashion icon David Beckham was knighted on Friday for his services to sport and charity, with The Who singer Roger Daltrey and actor Gary Oldman also receiving the honor. Beckham, who played 115 times for England as well as for some of the world's most high-profile clubs including Manchester United and Real Madrid, will now be known as "sir" and his wife Victoria, a former member of the Spice Girls pop group, will be known as Lady Beckham. The 50-year-old, who has long been in the running for a knighthood, was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2003 -- a lesser award in Britain's honors system. Victoria later received the same award for services to the fashion industry. "Growing up in east London with parents and grandparents who were so patriotic and proud to be British, I never could have imagined I would receive such a truly humbling honor," Beckham said in a statement issued to the Press Association. "I'm so lucky to be able to do the work that I do and I'm grateful to be recognized for work that gives me so much fulfillment," he added. Beckham's knighthood is the culmination of years of tireless efforts to transcend soccer and turn himself into a global icon at the intersection of sport, fashion and business. The honor, one of the highest bestowed by the UK state, "is a powerful symbolic marker", Marie Agnes Parmentier, professor of marketing at the University of Montreal and author of several papers on "Posh and Becks", explained to AFP. Even at the height of his career, Beckham was building his global brand with thought to his retirement. His appearance in a sarong, revelations that he used make-up and his eccentric hairstyles were all feverishly gobbled up by the UK's tabloid press. He also had to overcome the tag as England's "most-hated man" after being sent off during the 1998 World Cup in a knockout game against Argentina. Beckham is understood to have been on the verge of receiving a knighthood after helping London win its bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games. But UK authorities placed a red flag on his nomination due to his involvement in an alleged tax avoidance scheme, according to previous reports. He was subsequently cleared. Daltrey, who co-founded The Who in 1964, will also take the title of sir having been recognized for his services to charity and music in King Charles III's Birthday Honors list. The 81-year-old singer has been a patron of Teenage Cancer Trust since 2000, holding fundraising concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall for more than two decades. "It's kind of weird, but I am deeply honored to get this, especially for the charity for the Teenage Cancer Trust, and I accept it on their behalf really, because this honor is really for all unsung heroes," the "My Generation" singer told the Press Association. "It's a dream come true for me, but it's especially a dream because the charity means so much," he added. Oldman, who won a best actor Oscar for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in 2017's "Darkest Hour", also received a knighthood for his services to drama. The 67-year-old's films have earned over $11 billion, and his credits include the "Harry Potter" series, The "Dark Knight" Trilogy and "Air Force One", along with cameo appearances in sitcom "Friends" and music videos for David Bowie and Guns N' Roses. Stage star Elaine Page, who played Eva Peron in the first production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Evita", and novelist Pat Barker have both been made dames. Barker is known for her World War I "Regeneration Trilogy", the first book of which was turned into a Hollywood film starring Jonathan Pryce. © 2025 AFP
Tokyo Weekender
a day ago
- Tokyo Weekender
Japan Ranks 118th Again in Latest Global Gender Gap Report
In this week's news roundup we report on the 2025 Global Gender Gap Report and the State of the World Population report. Nintendo announces that it has sold a record 3.5 million Switch 2 units in the first four days. A foreign owner of a Tokyo apartment building reverses his decision to raise the rent from ¥72,500 to ¥190,000 . Prominent voice actress Megumi Hayashibara sparks an online debate with her blog post. And Japan finish their World Cup qualifying campaign in style with a 6-0 hammering of Indonesia. List of Contents: Global Gender Gap Report 2025: Japan Remains at 118th Despite Some Progress UN Report Says Financial Barriers, Not Choice, Driving Global Fertility Crisis Switch 2 Smashes Nintendo's Record, Selling 3.5 Million Units in Four Days Outrage After Foreign Landlord Nearly Triples Tokyo Apartment Rent Evangelion Voice Actress Megumi Hayashibara Deletes 'Invasive Species' Comment on Blog Japan Hammer Indonesia 6-0 in Final World Cup Qualifier Related Posts Global Gender Gap Report 2025: Japan Remains at 118th Despite Some Progress The World Economic Forum (WEF) released its 2025 Global Gender Gap Report on Thursday. Japan ranked 118th among 148 countries, the same position as last year. It remains the lowest of the G7 nations. However, it finished with an overall gender parity score of 66.6%, showing a slight improvement on 2024's total of 66.3%. The Swiss-based think tank notes that Japan has increased parity in almost every subindex compared with last year. Most progress came in Economic Participation and Opportunity, where it scored 61.3%, up 4.5% from 12 months ago. According to the WEF, this shift has been 'boosted by increased rates of women participating in the labour force (from 54.8% to 55.6%), higher representation of women in the senior officials, managers and legislators category (from 14.6% to 16.1%), as well as increased parity in estimated earned income (59.2%, up from 58.3%).' The Political Empowerment category, however, showed a regression, with the score dropping from 11.8% to 8.5%. Ministerial representation has fallen from 25% to 10%. Topping the 2025 Global Gender Gap Report was Iceland with a score of 92.6%. It has led the way for 16 consecutive years. UN Report Says Financial Barriers, Not Choice, Driving Global Fertility Crisis The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) presented its State of the World Population report on Tuesday. A total of 14,000 people from 14 countries were surveyed about their fertility intentions. Asked how many children they would like, most replied that they wanted two. However, one in five said they haven't had or won't be able to have their desired number of children. Just under 40% of respondents reported that financial barriers— such as the cost of raising children and expensive housing — had affected or would affect their ability to realize their desired family size. 'The world has begun an unprecedented decline in fertility rates,' said Doctor Natalia Kanem, the head of the UNFPA. She added, 'Fertility rates are falling in large part because many feel unable to create the families they want. And that is the real crisis.' Last week, the Japanese health ministry released data on the number of births — excluding foreign nationals — in Japan for 2024. With just 686,061 born, it was the first time in recorded history that the figure fell below the 700,000 mark. It was also the ninth consecutive year of decline. Switch 2 Smashes Nintendo's Record, Selling 3.5 Million Units in Four Days Nintendo announced on Wednesday that it had sold a record 3.5 million Switch 2 units worldwide in the first four days after the launch of the console. It was released on June 5. The astonishing figure surpasses the first month's sales of the original Switch (2.7 million units) and Sony's PlayStation 5 (3.4 million units). In May, Nintendo said that Switch 2 sales would reach 15 million during the current financial year which ends on March 31, 2026. Analysts, however, consider that to be a modest target set by the company. Serkan Toto, founder of gaming industry consultancy Kantan Games, believes it will sell over 20 million units in the first year. He told CNBC , 'All signals prior to launch pointed to significant demand, and I believe we will see further records broken over the next weeks or months.' The coveted console is similar in design to its predecessor, though it has a bigger screen and larger controllers. In Japan, around 2.2 million people applied to the lottery system to buy it. Even before it went on sale, Nintendo started shipping Switch 2 branded 'Out of Stock' signs to retailers. Outrage After Foreign Landlord Nearly Triples Tokyo Apartment Rent The foreign owner of a seven-story apartment building in Tokyo's Itabashi ward this week reversed his decision to raise the rent from ¥72,500 to ¥190,000. The reason given for the approximately 2.5-times increase was rising costs. However, it has been suggested that the real reason was to force the residents out, so the vacated apartments could be used as short-term rentals for travelers. When ANN News contacted the owner, who is in China, he stated that he would withdraw the rent hike. He added that the elevator, which broke down in May, will be reopened soon. Residents received a note about the substantial price increase in January. This led to several of them moving out. Those who remain still feel uneasy about the situation. Unknown people with suitcases have been seen entering the building. According to a website that provides information on private accommodations for tourists, a room in the condominium was being rented for ¥25,000 per night. When ANN News checked with Itabashi ward officials, it was confirmed that the notification required to be a private accommodation operator had not been submitted. The apartments will no longer be available as short-term rentals for travelers. Evangelion Voice Actress Megumi Hayashibara Deletes 'Invasive Species' Comment on Blog Prominent Japanese voice actress Megumi Hayashibara sparked an online debate earlier this week following her blog post on Sunday. The 58-year-old Tokyo native, who's most well known for her role as Rei Ayanami in Neon Genesis Evangelion , shared her concerns about Japan's cultural identity and political apathy. The blog, titled 'Indifference, Ignorance, and Not Knowing,' quickly went viral. The comments that drew the most attention regarded international students receiving subsidies and foreign tourists behaving badly. Referring to the latter, she used a metaphor of a Japanese crayfish being overwhelmed by an 'invasive species.' 'If we don't have regulations that are properly enforced, it could become dangerous,' she wrote. 'It will be like how Japanese crayfish were instantly devoured by invasive species. For instance, the Japanese rule of lining up to buy things could end up disappearing.' On Wednesday, Hayashibara deleted the line about the crayfish. 'Part of the way I expressed myself was deemed too extreme, so I removed it,' she wrote. 'I used it to illustrate the kind of person mentioned above, but it has hurt people who are not involved. I will learn. Thank you for letting me know.' Takefusa Kubo | Image by Saolab Press Japan Hammer Indonesia 6-0 in Final World Cup Qualifier Japan finished their World Cup qualifying campaign in style on Tuesday with a comprehensive 6-0 victory over Patrick Kluivert's Indonesia. With top place in the group already assured, Hajime Moriyasu's side demonstrated an impressive display of attacking football. They led 3-0 at the break thanks to a brace from Daichi Kamada and one from captain Takefusa Kubo. Ryoya Morishita, Shuto Machino and substitute Mao Hosoya added three more in the second half. Moriyasu praised his players, but urged them to keep pushing themselves. 'The challenge for the players is to break past their limits and grow,' he said . In boxing, Junto Nakatani became a unified bantamweight champion with a sixth-round technical knockout win over Ryosuke Nishida on Sunday. The two boxers, who went into the fight undefeated, engaged in a slugfest from the outset. Nakatani, though, started to take control in the fifth round, when Nishida's right eye began to swell. By the end of the sixth, he was unable to see incoming punches, so the ringside doctor decided to pull him out. Watching ringside was Naoya Inoue . Nakatani versus Inoue, expected to take place next year, will be the biggest fight in the history of Japan. Related Posts Japan Births Fall Below 700,000 for the First Time Japan Attempts To Ban Outlandish Kirakira Baby Names Number of Foreign Visitors to Japan Hits Yet Another Record High
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Japan Times
Cultural anxiety and Japan's immigration pains
Hello Kitty seems an unlikely trigger for an immigration debate. But that's what happened in Japan this week when Megumi Hayashibara, a prominent voice actress behind icons from Kitty to the long-running anime franchise "Evangelion's" Rei Ayanami, took to her blog to discuss the growing population of outsiders. She called for a crackdown on rule-breaking foreigners and criticized overseas students on free scholarships while locals pay for their education. The thrust of her post was a call for readers to vote. But her most cutting remark was a fear that local habits and Japaneseness itself might be lost if current trends continue, like the native crayfish endangered by an "invasive species' of crustacean threatening its natural habitat. (After online outrage, Hayashibara deleted the reference to crayfish.) While it's hardly the protests in Los Angeles, her comments show how immigration is becoming a heated topic in a country where it has only recently become a feature. And it's one that authorities should not ignore, as politicians elsewhere were content to do until fringe groups become seen as the only ones with the answers. I wrote in 2022 about how Tokyo, long stereotyped as being closed to immigration, was accepting more foreign nationals than many realized. That trend continues, with immigrants nearly doubling in the past decade and a record 10% jump in 2024. It's less the absolute level as the pace of change: Foreign residents have gone from less than 1% to more than 3% of the population in the past three decades and will reach around 10% in 2050. Criticism is fueled by the mistakes of Western nations and promoted by influencers who conflate Japan with other countries. Tokyo's strategy has been far subtler than many nations now struggling with anti-immigration populism, but it's no less vulnerable to the YouTube algorithm: A quick search for "Japan immigration issues' immediately turns up videos by the likes of the ubiquitous Hiroyuki Nishimura, the message-board entrepreneur with millions of followers and a controversial take on everything. These videos have titles like "Why should Japanese have to provide for foreigners?,' "Japan is defenseless' and "Japan will no longer be a country for Japanese!' What they ignore is that Japan doesn't have a vast force of idle foreign residents who are burdening the state. It accepts few asylum seekers, has been selective about the nationalities it attracts and has functioning border control. The number of illegal residents is a quarter of three decades ago, despite the increase in foreign nationals; the number of foreign-committed crimes shows a similar downtrend. Copy-pasted arguments from other countries don't apply here. But there are also areas of legitimate concern where authorities have not kept pace. From worries that short-term stayers are exploiting Japan's generous medical insurance system, to a bizarre loophole allowing tourists to easily get Japanese drivers' licenses, there's a worry that the country's hospitality is being exploited. The declining domestic population is complicating things. Working-age locals fell by 224,000 last year. This simultaneously lifts the need for foreigners to supplement the labor force, while heightening concerns about Japanese being "replaced' in their own country. The truth of Hayashibara's comments lies in the fact that the thing many love about Japanese society — the "it just works' nature of public life, from mass transit to health care to the low crime rate — is deeply dependent on everyone following the rules. Newcomers are often irked by all the procedures, from putting out garbage to talking on the subway. But these are necessary for residents, in particular those in cities stacked cheek-by-jowl, to coexist in harmony. Hayashibara's complaints about bad manners will be familiar to those who live in Japan, foreign or local; everyday annoyances have increased since the borders were reopened after COVID-19. In a Justice Ministry survey, nearly 78% said they most wanted foreign residents to follow local rules and customs. The government hasn't kept up with the times. Only now is Tokyo discussing simple issues, such as stopping tourists with unpaid medical debt from returning or rejecting visa extensions for those who haven't paid health care. I recently noted Japan doesn't track how easy it is for foreigners to buy property. A highly followed story since then concerns a Tokyo building where foreign ownership is seemingly seeking to force out residents to operate an illegal Airbnb. Politicians are reacting, slowly. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has pledged the country "will accept foreigners who follow the rules' while cautioning that those who don't "will be dealt with strictly.' Longtime ruling party leadership candidate Taro Kono has recently been burnishing his credentials by criticizing illegal immigration. It's all the growing pains of a changing nation. Talk of "invasive species' is unhelpful at best. But Japan also shouldn't repeat the mistakes of countries that dismissed citizens' concerns about immigration and ghettoization, only to watch them turn to fringe politicians when no one else would listen. The way to stave off the rise of populist talking heads is to address these worries and enforce a sense of fairness and equal treatment. After all, what else would Kitty want? Gearoid Reidy is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Japan and the Koreas.
