Japan’s Population Decline: Concerns, Causes, and Potential Solutions
The Japanese government has voiced serious concerns about the nation’s declining population and the shrinking of agricultural land, identifying these as significant hurdles. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, speaking at the TICAD9 conference, highlighted Japan’s record-breaking annual population decline and the loss of arable land due to factors like rural depopulation and aging farmers. In contrast to the growing populations in African nations, Ishiba appealed to African countries to support Japan as it grapples with these issues, emphasizing the importance of fostering manufacturing industries to harness the potential of Africa’s youth. Ishiba noted that Japan’s population could halve in the next 75 years, highlighting the severity of the situation.
John Q. Hosedrinker