Society

Japan's Population Shrinks by 530,000

TOKYO, Jul 25 (News On Japan) - Japan's total population stood at 124.88 million as of January 1 this year, a decrease of over 530,000 from the previous year, further accelerating the trend of a declining birthrate and aging population.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' Basic Resident Register, the number of Japanese citizens saw its largest drop to date, falling to 121,561,801, marking a decline for the 15th consecutive year since peaking in 2009.

Conversely, the number of foreign residents in Japan increased for the second consecutive year to 3,323,374, making up 2.7% of the total population.

Looking at age demographics, the population of Japanese aged 14 and under has been declining for the past 30 years, dropping to 14.1 million, less than 70% of the figure three decades ago. On the other hand, those aged 65 and older are nearing 36 million, more than doubling over the same period.

Despite the population decline, the number of households nationwide has increased by nearly 1%, reaching over 60.77 million.

This increase in households is due to a decrease in the average number of people per household to 2.05, highlighting the growing trend of single-person and small family households.

Source: ANN

Southern Kyushu Enters Rainy Season Earlier Than Okinawa for First Time in 49 Years

Southern Kyushu has entered the rainy season, marking the first time in 49 years that it has done so earlier than Okinawa. It is also the earliest rainy season start for any region in Japan since the Meteorological Agency began keeping records. Authorities are warning of heavy rainfall not only in Kyushu but across other parts of the country as well.

Saitama Road Collapse Recovery to Take 5-7 Years

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Eighty Years On, Okinawa Remembers the Battle of Sugar Loaf Hill

Eighty years have passed since the end of World War II, yet the memories of its fiercest battles continue to echo in the heart of Okinawa. The district of Omoromachi in central Naha, now a lively urban hub filled with people, was once the site of one of the bloodiest clashes of the Battle of Okinawa—the Battle of Sugar Loaf Hill.

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Japan’s prototypes of the kilogram and meter, which once served as national standards for weight and length, were presented to the press this week ahead of the 150th anniversary of the Meter Convention, the international treaty that standardized global measurement systems, to be marked on May 20th.

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Black Market Jobs Lure Workers to Steal Japanese Card Data

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