Japanese population below 120 million for first time in decades

With a median age of 49.9 years, Japan has the second-oldest population in the world after Monaco, according to the World Bank

TOKYO - The number of Japanese people living in the country has fallen below 120 million for the first time in 42 years, government data showed Wednesday, as the nation confronts a low birth rate and an ageing society.

As of January 1, the population of Japanese residents in Japan stood at 119.74 million, down 0.76 percent from the previous year, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.