Population
10 items
The Structure Behind 9 Million Vacant Houses — Why Japan Can Neither Demolish Nor Utilize Them
Japan's 2023 Housing and Land Survey recorded a record 9 million vacant houses at a 13.8% vacancy rate. Of these, 3.85 million are abandoned properties with no plans for rental or sale. The residential land tax exemption, high demolition costs, and inheritance complexity form a triple deadlock that keeps vacant houses growing unchecked.
A Country Where Politicians Win Without Elections — 26% Uncontested and 2,000+ Seat Shortfalls Question the Meaning of "Representation"
In the 2023 unified local elections, 26% of prefectural assembly members were elected without a vote. In town and village councils, seat shortfalls exceeded 2,000. Can an election in which simply filing a candidacy guarantees a seat still be called an election? Voters denied the very opportunity to choose, and politicians who become "representatives" without receiving a single vote. This article reads the structural gap between the democratic ideal of popular sovereignty and the reality of local democracy.
The Paradox of Population Decline and Record Tax Revenue — How Much Has Per Capita Tax Burden Increased?
Japan's FY2026 tax revenue is projected at ¥83.7 trillion — a seventh consecutive record — while the population continues to decline. By visualizing per capita tax burden trends, this article examines the structure behind "record revenue yet fiscal strain."
A Data Analysis of the 744 'At-Risk' Municipalities — The Structure That Tokyo Siphons
A 2024 analysis by Japan's Population Strategy Council classified 744 municipalities (43.3% of all 1,729) as "at risk of disappearance." Meanwhile, 25 so-called "black-hole" municipalities attract young people yet suppress birth rates. This article reads the data-driven structure of Tokyo's concentration effect on national depopulation.
Generational Pension Disparities Visualized by Birth Year — What Differs Between Those Born in 1940 and 2000
One estimate puts the benefit-to-contribution ratio at ~6x for those born in 1940; a separate study projects a net burden of ¥8.93 million for those born in 2000. These metrics differ in methodology, but the direction is clear. This article unpacks the historical causes of the intergenerational pension gap and the long-term impact of the macro-economic slide mechanism.
Tokunoshima TFR 2.25, Higashiyama 0.76 — Mapping Birth Rates Across 1,741 Municipalities
When Japan's total fertility rate is broken down to the municipal level (2018–2022 average), a nearly three-fold gap emerges between the highest (Tokunoshima 2.25) and lowest (Higashiyama Ward 0.76). This article analyzes the social structures behind the "high west, low east" geographic pattern.
How Much Is Japan's Child Support Levy? The Burden on Singles and Childless Households
Starting April 2026, Japan's new child support levy adds hundreds of yen monthly to health insurance premiums — even for those without children. Criticized as a 'singles tax,' we explain the system and compare it with international childcare financing.
15 Years After 3/11, 2 Years After Noto — The Structural Limits of Japan's ¥41 Trillion Recovery
Fifteen years after the Great East Japan Earthquake and two years after the Noto Peninsula earthquake, Japan's ¥41 trillion recovery budget rebuilt infrastructure but failed to bring residents back. Population declined in 90% of 42 affected municipalities. A structural analysis of hardware-biased recovery and the absence of a recovery model for depopulating areas.
Can 'Kankeijinko' Solve the Sustainability Problem of Student Community Work?
Japan's relational population framework offers a structural response to the 4-year turnover cycle in student organizations and sustainability pathways.
Behind Japan's 11.5% Child Poverty Rate: The 44.5% Single-Parent Reality
Japan's child poverty rate improved to 11.5%, but single-parent household poverty remains at 44.5% — among the worst in the OECD. The paradox of high employment and high poverty, and what 9,000 children's cafeterias reveal.