Japan

Question 1

Is Japan classified as a growing or ageing population? Why?

Answer 1

Ageing

Birth rates are lower than death rates causing an ageing population
20% of its citizens are aged over 65 years
Japan is the first country considered ‘hyper-aged’

Question 2

What processes are responsible for Japan’s population dynamics?

Answer 2

• healthy Japanese diet
• heavily invested in public health to reduce disease
• strong emphasis on hygiene
• active lifestyle of Japan’s retirees
• lowered fertility rates

Question 3

What are the impacts of Japan’s population changes?

Answer 3

• decline in working population
  Expected to roughly half between 2010 and 2060
• fewer taxpayers to support each elderly person
• increased dependency ratio
  1985 - 7 individuals to support each person over 65
  2010 - 2 : 8
  2035 - 1 : 7 (projected)
• less revenue received by the government
• budgetary pressure of government

Question 4

Name and describe a national-scale response to Japan’s ageing population

Answer 4

‘Abenomics’ was a National scale initiative introduced in 2014 in an attempt to increase female participation in the economy. The particular focus is workforce participation by women. One aim is to create an additional 400000 new childcare places by March 2018 and have women occupying 30% of supervisory positions by 2020.

Question 5

Name and describe a local-scale response to Japan’s ageing population

Answer 5

The industry sector in Japan has designed robots to assist the elderly and to help the age care staffing shortages. The domestic robot market is already a $1.8 billion a year industry.

Question 6

Describe Japans population dynamics

Answer 6

Japan had a population of roughly 127 million with a median age of 46 in 2015.
93% lived in urban areas
the population has been steadily declining since 2010 she it reached its peak of 128 million
20% aged 65+