Top 4 Persistent Illusions about the 25-Year-Long Recession (Notes from Under the Tatami Mats–14 … My Adventures in Japan)

“All the hot springs in Japan will freeze over before Japan changes its immigration policy.”

Apart from the above comments, there’s really not much left to be said about the moribund Japanese economy. So, we’ll look at its society instead.    

You're not getting older ... you're "super-aging"

Japan’s is the one society in the world that is referred to as “super-aging.” And recently, its low birth rate, which plummeted for most of the final 5 decades of the 20th century, has been compounded by a dropping fertility rate.

To make matters even worse, all the baby boomers are now surpassing the 65-year mark, and there are fewer and fewer young people to support them.

Which spells more doom for the economy.     _{(Image source)}

Slipping into oblivion

In response, the nation’s leaders could look to Singapore or Canada to see how a society can accept many foreigners to live and work in the country, while still remaining a strong, cohesive society. But all the hot springs in Japan will freeze over before they let that happen. 

Instead, the economy will continue to deteriorate and disintegrate, until it slips quietly and inexorably into the Pacific Ocean (to paraphrase Egon von Greyerz).       _{(Image source)}

   Introduction to – “Notes from Under the Tatami Mats”  _{(right-click on title)}

Top 5 Expropriated Islands that Should Be Returned to the Original Inhabitants

Top 4 Brilliantly Novel Uses of Concrete, Concrete, and More Concrete

Top 3 Ineffective Anti-Terrorism Measures

... and more

Links to my Other Series …

      Introduction – "Intro to Vocab-ability"   _{(right-click on title)}
      Guide – "Guide to Entries"   _{(right-click on title)}
      Index– "Index" to all Chapters and Sections   _{(right-click on title)}

      Lou Reed – "Anthology of Memorable Lyrics, Part 1"   _{(right-click on title)}
      Lou Reed – "Anthology of Memorable Lyrics, Part 2"   _{(right-click on title)}

_{Images sourced from Google Images, unless otherwise indicated or unless my own.}