Japan's birth crisis worsens

The birth rate in Japan has reached its lowest level since records began in 1947. In 2023, the fertility rate, which measures the average number of children a woman will have in her lifetime, stood at 1.20, as reported by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. This figure represents a decrease of 0.06 points compared to the previous year and marks the eighth consecutive year of decline.

Regionally, all prefectures experienced a decline in birth rates compared to 2022. Tokyo recorded the lowest rate at 0.99, followed by Hokkaido (1.06) and Miyagi (1.07) . In contrast, Okinawa had the highest rate with 1.60, followed by Miyazaki and Nagasaki (1.49) and Kagoshima (1.48).

In 2023, 72,727 Japanese children were born , a reduction of 43,482 compared to 2022, the lowest number since records have been kept. At the same time, the number of deaths reached a record of 1,575,936 , increasing by 6,886 compared to the previous year.

The case of Shuhei Horikiri (堀切脩平), a 31-year-old Chiba resident, illustrates the difficulties of many young parents. Working at a large human resources company, Horikiri faced long work hours that made it difficult for her to combine work and parenting. Ultimately, he opted for remote work to better balance his family and work responsibilities.

Some companies have taken steps to improve their employees' work-life balance. A notable example is Baeren Brewery in Morioka, which implemented significant labor reforms seven years ago. These include redistributing tasks to avoid work overload and introducing applications to facilitate communication and efficiency. As a result, overtime was reduced by 27% per employee, and the company experienced a 50% increase in sales, allowing for salary increases despite the reduction in working hours.

Japan's declining birth rate reflects complex structural challenges , including economic insecurity and difficulty balancing work and family. The experiences of individuals like Horikiri and successful business initiatives like those of Baeren Brewery demonstrate that solutions can be implemented . It is crucial that the government and businesses continue to work together to create work environments that foster family and economic stability , this being an essential strategy to reverse the trend of low birth rates and ensure a sustainable future for Japan.

« The birth rate in Tokyo, where salaries are highest, is the lowest .»
" I think we should stop trying to increase the population and start fighting a war of attrition, trying to maintain as much prosperity as possible while the birth rate continues to decline ."
" Well of course. Because the State does not take care of its people .
" The government only thinks about spending money to strengthen the vaults, while the assets in people's names are decreasing ."
« The population of the world as a whole is growing too fast, so we are going to reduce the population like a developed country .»
« The government should change its policy based on the premise that the population will decrease. I think we knew this was going to happen .
« It seems bad to me that Tokyo is, by far, the lowest. Tokyo has a large population and young people, but if so, it is nothing more than a black hole absorbing population. If we don't end the concentration now, it will get even worse .
« If you look at the birth rate, it is not the time for internal conflicts in East Asia, really. It is a problem of all industrialized countries .
« Why don't we change our mentality and spend money on people who live in the present without increasing the birth rate? Let us accept the future of perishing .