“Of all the changes Japanese society has experienced during the Heisei Era, none has been as significant as the country’s rapid population decline. The demographic downturn has caused such economic distress that the government has been forced to accelerate its acceptance of workers from other countries.

According to government data, the number of non-Japanese residents in June 2018 was over 2.6 million, the highest ever. This figure is more than 2.5 times greater than 30 years ago, at the start of the Heisei Era.”

Continue reading at NHK World-Japan.