As Japan Inc. inefficiency reigns, some see going paperless as a clear fix
Looking for a job in Japan? You might want to start off by writing a resume by hand and using your hanko (personal seal) to prove its authenticity. If you actually get hired, you may need to get used to faxing documents to clients. Japan ...
Owing to depopulation, small towns across Japan need to find new ways to maintain representative government.
A mountain village in Kochi Prefecture is offering a glimpse into the future of local governance amid Japan’s rapidly graying population.
Matchmaking events aim to pair rural men with city women willing to move
As demographic changes make it increasingly hard for rural men to find partners, authorities in Niigata Prefecture have begun holding matchmaking events in which women from far afield are invited to meet a potential mate in one of Japan's major agricultural regions. On a morning ...
Robots may help defuse demographic time bomb in Japan and Germany
Japan and Germany may be sitting on a ticking demographic time bomb where aging populations begin to drag down economic growth. Good thing they're also prime candidates for robot revolutions. Increased automation and more use of robotic technology in these manufacturing powerhouses could help cushion ...
The government needs better ideas than limiting universities' expansion options if it wants to halt the population flow into the Tokyo area.
Large regional disparities in marriage rates point to range of local factors
A recent government report showing a record percentage of people in Japan remain unmarried at age 50 has also revealed major regional disparities, indicating local factors are influencing marriage rates. Generally higher rates of unmarried men in eastern prefectures and among women in prefectures home ...
The labor shortage brought on by the shrinking and graying population is starting to have a profound impact on companies.
Kansai leaders grope for ways to keep regional population stable amid projected slide
A projection showing that Japan's population could fall from 127.09 million in 2015 to 88.08 million by 2065 has pushed Kansai leaders harder for more policies and funding to increase the local birthrate, keep younger people from leaving and protect the growing ranks of ...
Japan's shrinking student ranks force cram schools to rethink strategies
In the 1980s and 1990s, when the country's university entrance exam industry was at its peak, cram school veteran teacher Toshiyuki Sakai would regularly stand in front of a classroom overflowing with students. "When opening the classroom door, I could feel the heated atmosphere among ...
The government needs to focus better on upcoming demographics-related problems.
Japan's population slips for sixth consecutive year but foreign residents slowing the fall
Japan’s population shrank to 126.93 million last year, but the record drop in Japanese was cushioned by a record surge in foreign residents, the government says.
