Japan has convened its first panel of experts to help draft a comprehensive plan aimed at reversing the country's declining birthrate and restructuring socioeconomic systems to cope with a rapidly shrinking and aging population. Minoru Kiuchi, minister for economic and fiscal policy, described the demographic trend at the meeting as a national crisis that is unfolding quietly. The newly formed panel traded ideas on several critical fronts, including how to reverse the declining birthrate trend, how to build sustainable local communities, and how Japan should aim to become a society where individuals who wish to marry or have children do not have to make excessive sacrifices. Additionally, members discussed artificial intelligence and its potential to address severe labor shortages across the country. Despite a slight increase in births during the first half of the year, the number was far outpaced by deaths, registering 320,458 births compared to 766,746 deaths. Last year, the country's fertility rate dropped to 1.14, marking the lowest on record. Projections from the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research indicate the population could fall below 100 million by 2056 and decline to 87 million by 2070 under a medium-fertility scenario. Discussions during the briefing also touched on foreign workers, covering concerns about over-reliance, improving working conditions, and potential labor shortages if foreign worker numbers are reduced. The panel is composed of 14 members, mainly academics specializing in sociology and economics, alongside business executives and an IPSS department head, with former internal affairs minister Hiroya Masuda serving as chairman. The government will utilize the panel's views on fertility-rate scenarios and foreign national assumptions to run demographic simulations. The findings are expected to be integrated into a comprehensive population strategy by December and will help shape the basic policy on accepting foreign nationals, which is slated for finalization by March. Source: The Japan Times #Japan #PopulationDecline #Demographics #Society #LaborShortages
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