For the fourteenth year running, Japan's population has slumped to a record low. The non-foreign population dropped by nearly 900,000 — an unprecedented fall.
My two cents with a decade in Japan under my belt:
work-life balance needs to be fixed (there are recent laws helping this, but not enough enforcement)
sexism in work (salary gap and gap in leadership is one of the highest in the world)
do more based on merit than seniority in a number of areas
more jobs and good universities need to be moved outside of the big city centers; daycare availability is a HUGE problem for people I know with kids or looking to have them (whereas in the countryside where I live, they have free daycare slots available but far fewer jobs and opportunities). This would involve some investment in infra to make things happen as well
better investment in education and some revamping of the education system; kids are almost never held back here and once they get into uni it’s often seen as a free ride to graduation at many schools; this is not the best system for producing the best innovators and Japan needs innovation
better progress toward digitization; we’re woefully behind the times even as many are dragged, kicking and screaming, into more things being online. I still have to send faxes and postal mail to accomplish many things relating to government and taxes. This has a number of costs such as taking time off work to accomplish things in person. Banks are also only open 9-3 M-F with some occasionally having weekend hours. Same with all but an area’s “main” post office and other things that just eat into that work-life balance problem by requiring use of time off.
better education in and participation in government and civics; very few people vote in Japan and I’d like to see that change as I think more engagement would help the people better determine what is best for their future.
Edit to add that the above excludes anything related to immigration as I don’t really know the right answer/balance there; the above are things that could help immediately without as much handwaving about “destroying our cultural values!” that some complain about by suggesting such daring things as married Japanese couples having separate surnames (illegal in Japan; if both are Japanese, they must unify to one name).
My two cents with a decade in Japan under my belt:
Edit to add that the above excludes anything related to immigration as I don’t really know the right answer/balance there; the above are things that could help immediately without as much handwaving about “destroying our cultural values!” that some complain about by suggesting such daring things as married Japanese couples having separate surnames (illegal in Japan; if both are Japanese, they must unify to one name).
Edit 2: just saw this elsewhere talking about some changes coming: https://leglobal.law/countries/japan/looking-ahead-2025-japan/