Asia Pacific Mar 16, 2023
South Korean marriages slide to record low in a blow for country with the world’s lowest birth rate
by Sam Kim
South Korea’s crude marriage rate — the number of marriages per 1,000 people — slid to 3.7 from 3.8 in 2021.
National | Longform Mar 11, 2023
Abandoned after 3/11, Fukushima starts attracting new residents
by Alex K.T. Martin
People are moving to areas near the crippled nuclear power plant in the prefecture lured by the promise of subsidies, discount housing and work opportunities. But will these migrants stay?
National Feb 26, 2023
Rural post offices begin hosting unmanned shops to help older residents
by Yuta Iida
Some 3,000 of the roughly 24,000 post offices nationwide have embraced the service, stocking vegetables, daily necessities and other items.
Commentary / World Feb 22, 2023
Can money turn the tide on global fertility rates?
by Gearoid Reidy
Japan, the poster child for aging societies, promises radical spending to boost its birthrate. That’s unlikely to fix the issue.
Business | Longform Jan 30, 2023
Reining in Japan’s unstoppable urban sprawl
by Alex K.T. Martin
The world’s most rapidly aging nation wants its shrinking population to concentrate in regional urban centers. However, things aren't going as planned.
National Jan 24, 2023
Japan planning to establish zones to give vacant homes new life
The number of vacant houses in Japan has grown 1.5 times over the past 20 years, with the figure only expected to rise.
Asia Pacific / Social Issues | ANALYSIS Jan 19, 2023
A shrinking, aging China may have backed itself into a corner
by Chris Buckley, Joy Dong and Amy Chang Chien
Mounting population pressures may reveal a government that has not done enough to avoid tough choices in coming decades.
Asia Pacific / Social Issues Jan 19, 2023
Make it easier to raise children, say many Chinese after population falls
China's statistics bureau just released a report that showed the population fell for the first time since 1961 amid a lack of desire by young adults to start families.
National Jan 19, 2023
Japan's government starts talks on 'unprecedented' steps to reverse birthrate decline
by Tomoko Otake
Kishida is expected to announce his resolve to roll out significant child care measures next week in a speech to be delivered at the beginning of a new parliamentary session.
Commentary / Japan Jan 9, 2023
Don’t pay people to leave Tokyo. Make more Tokyos.
by Gearoid Reidy
Trying to arrest rural depopulation, Japan wants people to quit Tokyo, its greatest metropolis. How about creating new ones instead?
Business Jan 6, 2023
Japan’s business owners can’t find successors. This man gave his away.
by Ben Dooley and Hisako Ueno
Nearly 60% of the country’s businesses report that they have no plan for their future ownership.
National / Social Issues | New Year Special 2023 Jan 3, 2023
Tracing the history of Mio, a rural Wakayama community with deep ties to Canada
by Tomoko Otake
Efforts to preserve Mio’s cultural heritage, including memories of the longstanding connections with Canada, have gained momentum in recent years.