The Japan Times8h ago
Though some of the interpretations in the book can be tenuous, the reporting in the book is boots-on-the-ground, illuminating people's thoughts behind the statistics. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2026/03/23/books/depopulation-japan-books-tom-feiling/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #books #depopulation #bookreview
‘Alone in Japan’ travels towns in decline, talks to the people left

While Japan's depopulation is a much discussed issue, Tom Feiling's book, 'Alone in Japan' tackles the topic face to face as he travels to remote parts of Japan.

The Japan Times
The Japan Times21h ago
In a picturesque seaside town, abandoned homes have become a canvas for a community revitalization project bringing together local and global talents. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2026/03/23/issues/onomichi-labyrinth-house-akiya-renovation/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #community #issues #onomichi #hiroshima #akiya #depopulation #shimanamikaido
In Onomichi, urbanists redesign public life via vacant homes

Since 2019, a volunteer renovation and reconstruction project has been reimagining community and bringing new energies to a seaside town in Hiroshima Prefecture.

The Japan Times
The Japan Times4d ago
The book "Alone in Japan" examines the country's plummeting birthrate but leans on cliches, showing that understanding declining fertility globally requires moving beyond cultural stereotypes to practical solutions. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/03/19/japan/discussing-japans-birthrate/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #aging #children #depopulation #elderly #parenthood #population
We have to stop discussing Japan's birthrate like this

Declining Asian fertility is often framed negatively: a backlash against a crushing society. When it happens in the U.S., though, it's young women taking control over their lives.

The Japan Times
The Japan TimesMar 7
Once a week, 85-year-old Makiko Kimura mans the register at a sweets shop in western Tokyo. Rather than a chore, the senior citizen says continuing to work ‘makes me happy just to leave the house.’ https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2026/03/07/lifestyle/elderly-workforce-silver-jinzai-aging-population/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #life #lifestyle #depopulation #aging #elderly #lifeexpectancy
Working overtime: ‘Silver Jinzai’ centers keep Japan’s seniors employed

With about 3 in 10 adults currently over the retirement age, community agencies keeping seniors in part-time work bring both personal and economic benefits.

The Japan Times
The Japan TimesMar 7
The former head of Japan's $2 trillion Government Pension Investment Fund is now working as an adviser for agricultural investments as the sector faces a rapidly aging and shrinking workforce. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/03/06/ex-chief-gpif-tomato-developer/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #gpif #hulic #vegetables #fruit #agriculture #pensionfunds #aging #depopulation
Former chief of $2 trillion pension fund joins developer growing tomatoes

Masataka Miyazono aims to help make Japan's agricultural sector more productive in order to boost sustainability in the country.

The Japan Times
Dining and CookingMar 4

Wine, Apples, and Air: Yamagata’s Asahi Town Comes to Tokyo

Asahi Town, near the centre of Yamagata Prefecture, is about 70% forest and is known for its apples and wine. In February, the town held an exchange event in Tokyo titled “An Evening to Connect with Asahi Town, Yamagata,”…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Wine #airshrine #asahitown #culture #depopulation #j2e #japan2earth #ruraljapan #shrines
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2539232/wine-apples-and-air-yamagatas-asahi-town-comes-to-tokyo/

WineMar 4

Wine, Apples, and Air: Yamagata’s Asahi Town Comes to Tokyo

Asahi Town, near the centre of Yamagata Prefecture, is about 70% forest and is known for its apples and wine. In February, the town held an exchange event in Tokyo titled “An Evening to Connect with Asahi Town, Yamagata,” marking the start of a…
#wine #Wine #airshrine #asahitown #culture #depopulation #j2e #japan2earth #ruraljapan #shrines
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2539232/wine-apples-and-air-yamagatas-asahi-town-comes-to-tokyo/

Climate crisis | The GuardianMar 3
Historic harvests and sky-high prices – so why can’t Colombia’s coffee-growers hire pickers? https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/mar/03/historic-harvests-and-sky-high-prices-so-why-cant-colombias-coffee-growers-hire-pickers #ClimateCrisis #Depopulation #Colombia #Brazil #Americas #WorldNews #Environment #Coffee
Historic harvests and sky-high prices – so why can’t Colombia’s coffee-growers hire pickers?

Though coffee is one of the world’s most important commodities, little of the profit trickles down to the farmers, while workers are abandoning the countryside in search of more lucrative jobs in the city

The Guardian
Japan Pop NewsFeb 7
https://www.wacoca.com/news/2762587/ 住民の主な姓は3つ、コンビニは村外 「日本一人口密度が低い村」福島・檜枝岐 | JAPAN Forward #aging #AgingPopulation #depopulation #fukushima #FukushimaPrefecture #HiddenWonders #HiddenWondersOfJapan #VILLAGE #福島 #福島県
The Japan TimesJan 28
Some local governments are turning to resident-led nonprofit organizations known as "workers' cooperatives" to provide essential services, amid the withdrawal of supermarkets and other businesses. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/28/japan/society/worker-cooperatives-rural-japan/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #depopulation #hiroshima #kyotango #tsukuba #rurallife
Local governments tap worker cooperatives for services in depopulated areas

The cooperatives are supported by local government subsidies for startup and operating costs, with central government also working to ease access to financial assistance.

The Japan Times