Japan's falling population is owed, in part, to a spike in the success of women in the workforce. A greater percentage of Japanese women hold jobs than their American counterparts.

Japan's population has been shrinking for 15 years, with huge implications for the country's economy, national defense, and culture. Now, policymakers are working to boost birth rates.

The health ministry said 686,061 babies were born in Japan in 2024, a drop of 5.7% on the previous year and the first time the number of newborns fell below 700,000 since records began in 1899.

Japan is not the only country that is dealing with invasive raccoons. What do you think? Be the first to comment. In Germany, raccoons were imported there in the 1930s for their fur.

Back in the 1980s, Japan performed something of an economic miracle. It transformed itself into the number two economy in the world. From Walkmans to Toyotas, the U.S. was awash in Japanese imports.

Japan's invasive raccoon problem has worsened over the last decade despite efforts to eradicate the species. Raccoons are not native to Japan and arrived in the 1970s as pets.