Imagine a Japan 700 years from now, where young people are hard to find on the streets, leaving only a child under the age of 15 growing up alone in an empty country. It sounds like a science fiction plot, but did you know that it turned out to be a true prediction by a Japanese scholar!
This scholar is Professor Hiroshi Yoshida, director of the Center for Economic and Social Research on Aging at Tohoku University in Japan. Recently, he made a startling prediction: Japan could be at risk of extinction within about 700 years as its population declines accelerated. Isn't that a bit incredible? Let's take a look at how this bold prediction came about.
Professor Yoshida's research is based on an in-depth analysis of Japan's population data. He found that Japan's child population has been declining for decades. According to the latest data, Japan's population of children under the age of 15 has shrunk to a worrying level. If the rate continues to decrease, then in 700 years, there may really be only one child left in Japan.
This prediction sounds a bit shocking, but Professor Yoshida reminds us that it is not alarmist. He pointed out that Japan is facing a serious problem of declining birthrate, and the root cause of this problem is young people's attitudes towards childbearing and economic pressure. With the rapid development of society, more and more young people choose to marry later and have children later, or even not marry and have children. At the same time, the high cost of childcare and education is also prohibitive for many families.
Professor Hiroshi Yoshida believes that to solve this problem, the government and society need to work together. He made a number of specific recommendations, such as increasing childcare allowances, expanding the size of public nurseries, and improving the working environment to support the balance between family and work. These measures aim to ease the burden on young parents and encourage them to have more children.
This prediction has also caused a lot of controversy. Some see Professor Yoshida's prediction as overly pessimistic, while others see it as a wake-up call to the attention of population issues. Either way, we cannot deny that Japan is facing a serious demographic challenge.
What do you think of this projection, and what measures do you think the Japanese government and society should take to solve this problem? Let's discuss it together.