Shrinking applicant pool: Japan's Self Defense Forces struggling to recruit amid population crisis
As a Self-Defense Forces recruiter sat patiently at a booth outside a supermarket in Tokyo one recent weekend, she welcomed a rare visitor, high school student Kazuaki Matsumura. But Matsumura, who plans to go to university, wasn't there to sign up. He was just curious. "There ...
Local efforts to attract tourists is a great way to reinvigorate local economies and shore up land prices.
Japan's 'danchi': Public housing blocks highlight the complexity of interculturalism
Stroll through Shibazono Danchi in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, on a weekend and you will find children shrieking with glee. They run across its communal playground or splash about in the fountain of the public housing complex as elderly residents enjoy leisurely walks in the ...
Japan to curb expensive gift incentives under 'hometown tax' program
The program allows taxpayers to donate to any municipality and receive tax cuts, but has led to fierce competition among local governments to lure donations with expensive gifts.
We need a sense of crisis over depopulation
With Japan entering unprecedented demographic territory, the time to act is now.
With more low-skilled workers coming in from overseas, Japan must improve their work and living conditions.
Pro-growth education for Japan
It is time for Japan to unleash the third "arrow" of Abenomics: a long-term growth strategy underpinned by structural reforms.
The upheaval in Japan's demographics is causing a shake-up in the regional banking sector, requiring wise oversight by regulators.
How one Hokkaido town curbed population decline in graying Japan
In early August, as much of the country suffered through some of its hottest temperatures on record, a small town in Hokkaido welcomed visitors from around the world to an annual photography festival that celebrated the outdoors. Under sunny skies and low humidity, with the ...
Address Japan's demographic, fiscal woes
The most important items on the agenda should be reversing Japan's population decline and rebuilding the government's fiscal health.
Japan's baby bust is an opening for experimentation
When nothing works, it's time to go try something bold and unconventional.
Japan firms welcome skilled foreign workers; majority open to more open immigration system: poll
Most companies support loosening the country’s immigration system to cope with labor shortages, but they favor skilled workers, not an influx of unskilled laborers, a poll shows.
