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Gwyn McClelland, Senior Lecturer, Japanese Studies, University of New England

How do 4,500 people become 250? The stark reality of life on Japan’s rapidly depopulating Gotō Islands

Gwyn McClelland

Japan’s population crisis isn’t letting up, despite ongoing efforts by its government to boost fertility rates. According to data released in June, birth rates fell for the eighth consecutive year in 2023, reaching a record low.

The data came shortly after a report by the Population Strategy Council warning that 744 of the nation’s 1,729 municipalities were at risk of disappearing by 2050.

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