Editorials Jan 21, 2022
China's declining birth rate looks almost impossible to reverse, a trajectory with profound implications for its economic and social prospects.
Asia Pacific / Social Issues Dec 21, 2021
China bill would ban employers asking about pregnancy status
Gender discrimination is already illegal, but current laws are vague, and Beijing seeks to ease pressure on working women as the birth rate declines.
Books Dec 5, 2021
Alex Kerr sounded an alarm 25 years ago. Did Japan listen?
by Chiara Terzuolo
On the anniversary of his breakout book ‘Lost Japan,’ the author finds reasons for hope in some rural towns.
Commentary / World Oct 20, 2021
America’s superstar cities aren’t what they used to be
by Justin Fox
The 10 biggest U.S. cities, while large and growing, now account for less than 7.9% of the country’s population.
National | Regional Voices: Hokkaido Sep 13, 2021
Three years after Hokkaido quake, hard-hit communities facing depopulation
Their homes destroyed, older residents moved into town, but the outlook is bleak despite revitalization efforts.
Commentary / World Aug 6, 2021
China’s demographic manipulation
by Yi Fuxian
Officially, China’s demographic situation was nothing to be alarmed about. But less than a month after the census was released, Beijing suspiciously loosened the family-planning rules.
National Jul 12, 2021
A deserted Akita town offers a glimpse of Japan's demographic future
by Ying Zhou
A lack of jobs is causing younger people to move away, which results in stores and other industries losing business and leaves mainly the retired population.
Commentary / World Jun 7, 2021
China’s three-child policy won’t help
by Nancy Qian
But a below-replacement fertility rate is only one part of China’s demographic problem. A second issue is the sheer size of its older population.
National / Media | BIG IN JAPAN May 29, 2021
Can a celebrity wedding set the mood for romance?
by Kaori Shoji
Yui Aragaki and Gen Hoshino announced they will be getting married, proving the idea that you can't find romance after 30 is an outdated one.
Business | FOCUS May 12, 2021
China bets on productivity over population to drive its economy
China’s total population could peak in the next few years, spurring profound changes for the world’s second-biggest economy.
National / Media | BIG IN JAPAN Apr 24, 2021
In COVID-19's wake, Japan faces a bleaker future
by Mark Schreiber
A "baby shock" now threatens Japan, according to one journalist. Meanwhile, older residents could be shipped off to China?
Commentary / World Mar 29, 2021
China’s accelerating fertility crisis
by Zhang Jun
China has always been cautious about loosening family-planning rules. But, if it is to sustain its economic dynamism in the decades to come, it must work hard to expand its labor force.