Japan population is declining now

[watermen]

There are 127,463,611 people in 2006, but there are only 127,433,494 in 2007. A decline of nearly 30,000 people last year, this year it is going to decline again. Is Japanese government doing anything?

[Psy]

This is pretty widely discussed problem, and essentially it means that Japan will have 3 options: 1) outsource its labor, 2) loosen its strict immigration policies, or 3) face economic collapse. The other option of encouraging Japanese couples to *cough*get to know each other better*cough* doesn't seem all that promising considering given certain... statistics. Besides, an improvement in that area wouldn't solve the immediate dilemma of having workers to support the elderly until the next generation, by which time the damage will have already been done.

The way the culture is locked (atama ga katai, anyone?) itself into isolation, both physically as an island nation and psychologically by way of the oft-noted gaijin complex, makes progress on this issue a pretty hard sell for the government. Though I've no direct experience myself on the matter, I can't imagine the infamous "Japanese Meeting Room Politeness Dance" of hints, suggestions, and generally snail-paced movements towards making the tough decisions helps internal operations very much.

Hating to toot my own horn here, but a little old-fashioned American outspokenness could really help turn things around.

[Javizy]

Those figures are quite shocking; even more so in light of what's going on where I'm from. From mid-2005 to mid-2006 the UK's population increased by about 400,000, with 190,000 accounted for by immigrants (excluding the no doubt thousands of illegal ones I'm sure). The population was last recorded at 60.5 million, and is projected to grow to over 70 million in the next 20 years

Maybe the Japanese could just use British policy for a couple of years, and then switch back before they ruin themselves like we're doing In all seriousness though, it doesn't appear that they can afford to take too much time on this; it's like a mid-sized town being wiped off the map each year. I read an article recently about city youths preferring a low-key, frugal lifestyle, and the nature of city work and life in general doesn't make children any more appealing. Governments can't condition family mentalities, so surely they should be looking toward immigration.