An amateur sumo wrestler holds a baby during a baby crying contest at a temple in Tokyo in 2018. The annual number of births in Japan is projected to fall to 740,000 by 2040. Photo: Reuters
Japan births hit ‘critical’ new low – sapping national strength, experts caution
- The number of births has been falling since 1973, when it peaked at about 2.1 million. Fewer than 600,000 Japanese were born in January-September
- A government-commissioned panel last week cited the low birth rate and falling population as factors that threaten to erode Japan’s national strength
An amateur sumo wrestler holds a baby during a baby crying contest at a temple in Tokyo in 2018. The annual number of births in Japan is projected to fall to 740,000 by 2040. Photo: Reuters
