Jakarta –
The population decline that has occurred in Japan is increasingly worrying. More than 90 percent of regional leaders in the country consider it a serious problem.
In a national survey conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun ahead of unified local elections in April 2023, 60 percent of leaders cite childcare support programs and measures to tackle population decline as the main concerns in the upcoming elections. They highlight Japan’s low birth rate is a pressing chronic problem.
Questionnaires from the survey were sent to heads of 47 prefectures including Tokyo, as well as leaders of 1,741 other cities, wards and municipalities last February. As a result, they are taking the population decline in their area seriously. The survey noted:
- 65 per cent of them described the situation as ‘very serious’
- 26 percent called the population decline situation ‘somewhat serious’
The population decline in Japan is influenced by various reasons, one of which is the low birth rate. However, this birth rate is difficult to increase for various reasons.
Respondents said this was due to the lack of places for young people and women to work. In addition, the unstoppable exodus of young people looking for work or education.
“Low wages and an unstable work environment are the cause of the exodus of young people from the countryside as well as a decrease in people’s motivation to have children,” said senior researcher at the Japan Research Institute, Ltd., Takumi Fujinami, quoted from The Japan NewsSaturday (25/3/2023).
“It is important to create high-quality jobs in the region,” he continued.
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(star/vyp)
