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.

In 2024, 720,988 babies were born in the country, marking the ninth consecutive year of decline in child births.

Using prefectural data, we study the potential impact on wage dynamics of the planned minimum wage increase policy in Japan. Our main result is that stepping up minimum wage growth from 2 to the ...

Japan has been struggling to cope with a combination of anaemic economic growth and a shrinking population for over 30 years. 2025 marks the tipping point when the rising costs outstrip the country's ...

Japanese real wages decreased for a third consecutive month in March, squeezed by relentless inflation although consumer ...

The Japanese government is likely to establish 1% growth in real wages as its first-ever official target for pay increases, a ...

Ukai, a traditional Japanese restaurant near the landmark Tokyo tower, now charges up to 22,000 yen ($156) for its set menu, 24% more than last November. “There’s no doubt rising wages and ...

The mixed wage and spending data highlights Japan's challenging growth outlook, as the export-reliant economy faces tariff threats and uncertainty over monetary policy. Economists are expecting to ...

The Japanese government is likely ... a goal of reaching 1% annual gains in real wages by the fiscal year starting in April 2029, according to a policy draft by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba ...