Japan’s Shrinking Population: A Nation at a Crossroads | 60 Minutes
In the latest episode of “60 Minutes,” we delve into a pressing issue that has been impacting Japan for the past 15 years: a declining population. As marriage and birth rates plummet, the ramifications ripple through the economy, national defense, and cultural fabric of the nation.
With a deep dive into this demographic crisis, the segment explores the challenges faced by policymakers striving to reverse the trend and encourage higher birth rates. Interviews with key figures highlight the urgency of the situation, as Japan grapples with the implications of an aging population and a shrinking workforce.
“60 Minutes” continues its legacy of insightful reporting by shedding light on this critical issue as Japan finds itself at a pivotal moment.
For more in-depth coverage and compelling stories, subscribe to the “60 Minutes” YouTube channel and stay tuned for full episodes and additional content. Join us as we explore the complexities of Japan’s future in our world today.
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Video “Japan's population shrinking as marriage and birth rates plummet | 60 Minutes” was uploaded on 04/28/2025 to Youtube Channel 60 Minutes
Late stage capitalism.
To bad Japan, this was long coming o well you had a good run. Good bye
the minute arranged marriages started to be replaced by "love marriages" the divorce rate started skyrocketing in Japan. must be just a coincidence, but let's beat about the bush and be silly enough to think it's because of work culture or housing crisis
While it’s pretty easy to knock a woman up and have a child, it’s a whole other ball game to raise and financially support that child. With the way the cost of living is in this world and basic and essential needs are becoming more expensive, no wonder the governments are wondering why people don’t have more kids and populations in countries are on the decline. This isn’t rocket science.
Korea is even worse, china is in the same boat as Japan or potentially worse.
In Europe a lot of western countries are facing the same issue. America is 20 years behind Europe.
We need to incentivize our people to have children. Build the economy around family’s.
This is some political propaganda. It's 1st being caused by bad food and bad medicine to keep those who want a big family from having it. Of course theres also the economic war being played out on to the people not just to Japan but to everyone the planet by a single group of globalist bankers.
3:41 what does that sound like
HASTUNE MIKU REFERENCE
Like I Am Legend
We have bases in Japan. We spend more on their defense than they do.
I just don’t want kids. I could afford them…I just don’t want them. And I think that’s the case with a lot of people. I know finances are too…but we’re also just seeing a culture shift.
NO ONE CARES!!!! These videos and essays have been written about Japan for the last 20 years that’s all his will be just videos!!! NO ACTIONS! This is all your future
They should open up to more immigrants coming into their country.
Japan has always been a decade or two ahead of the rest of the world for good and for the bad.
Maybe they would take some of the millions of third world people who invaded this country over the past 4 years?!
Well Japan's problem has always been its culture. The thing that separates it from all its southeast Asian neighbors and makes it not only such a wonderful place but also a magical place, is unfortunately what's killing it.
The 14-hour work days and the obligatory going out with your boss and coworkers after work, the mildly hidden although sometimes overt racism that permeates Japanese society. Oh don't get me wrong they're fine letting people visit, but try assimilating into Japanese culture, it is damn near impossible, and you're always, repeat always thought of as The outsider. Even generations later, there are stories I've read of people immigrating from Korea and other other Southeast Asian nations over the last 150 years, and even though their descendants today are as Japanese as any Japanese person that's lived there for millennia, they're still thought of in a kind of offhand way as being different and being an outsider.
Japan will survive for all of our lifetimes but ultimately in my view unless they change their willingness to let others into their culture and to grow their culture, they're going to fail, big time within the next two centuries.
And honestly the world will lose one of the last great independent cultures when that happens, which will be quite a shame.
I sympathize with the young people of Japan, Sounds like they're disgustingly over worked and technology doesn't help. People need to ignore this carbon footprint bs
Yeah no one wants to have kids in a late stage capitalist dystopia. No one is happy, of course people don’t want to have kids. The oligarchs and our corporate overlords will finally see the consequences once the fertility crises reaches critical mass.
Poverty has doo… Western greed has doomed the world
7:24 okay that’s just disturbing 😳
This is a worldwide phenomenon. From what I've read and watched, it's happening first in rich countries but is accelerating even in the third world. Places like Japan and South Korea are hit the hardest right now because places like the US and Europe are bolstered by immigration. But if 3rd world countries begin to shrink, they won't be able to make up the difference with immigration forever.
I've seen tons of comments online blaming the economy. That isn't it. Governments providing free daycare, for example, doesn't work to reduce the trend. Governments offering money to people for having kids has no effect. Whether you are rich or poor seems to make little or no difference.
Societies that are resistant to the population decline are typically socially conservative, and see themselves as radically different from their neighbors (Israelis, the Amish, etc). In other words, population decline is cultural. It's in our heads.
The older generation doesn't support us. I have a car at a parking lot I pay for, but I get there by bike and some old lady patrolling the neighbourhood in her free time is enraged by me parking my bike on the grounds I pay for. So that I can get home faster. So I can pick up my daughter from daycare. The older generation is fat and complacent. They own everything but improve nothing.
Starting from scratch can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re unsure where to begin. The untold truth is, building wealth is possible, but it takes discipline and smart choices. A lot of people lose their way because they don’t know what to avoid…….
I'm an optimistic person and even i see the world the old people built is utter garbo. I'm not bringing a child into this.
yall could just watch any japanese interviewer and learn this stuff
Living in Japan. For my Japanese husband and I, it comes down to money. We are very lucky with our current jobs in regards to work culture and relative flexibility. But the pay is not enough… We cannot afford to buy a home for just the 2 of us, let alone with children. All the jobs are in the expensive cities. So we are forced to rent a small space for a high price. Plus inflation with a higher-and-higher cost of living while our salaries remain unchanged… Also, I cannot have children naturally for medical reasons. Adoption is uncommon here and surrogacy is not an option unless doing so abroad. Even for women who want/can have children naturally, epidurals are a luxury that few hospitals provide. While there was a point in time where I really wanted to have children, I've mourned that loss of a dream. I simply cannot afford it in this lifetime…
I wish this piece talked to young adults and childless married couples to see why they are not having children… They are the ones holding the true answers.
Inviting immigrants is Inviting garbage.
I can’t believe the reporter didn’t know that Japan is a 98% homogeneous society, that they don’t allow immigrants to become citizens due to their cultural views.
That they’d rather let their population keep further declining than allowing ‘foreigners’ into their country which would solve a lot of their problems.
Whereas other countries like Australia for instance is a multicultural society due to immigration.
They need to send Filipinos, that would fix that problem
How sad
Childcare support is also hard in Japan. And its so expensive.
That lady is a patriot
Why is the BBC 60 mins so fascist !? Why didn’t they include trans kids and the pronouns children