Social Issues and Current Affairs

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Life & Lifestyle

Japan's Population Falls to 123 Million: Biggest 5-Year Drop Ever, Now World's 12th

Japan's 2025 census preliminary count puts the population at 123 million, down 3.1 million in five years, the steepest drop since records began. The country fell from 11th to 12th in the world, overtaken by Ethiopia. We translate that number into cities you can picture, then compare how South Korea, Italy, and China face the same cliff, and ask whether Japan's immigration, birth-support, and regional-revival policies are working.

Life & Lifestyle

PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' Found Above Limits in 26 Prefectures: Japan's Contamination Crisis

Japan's Environment Ministry confirmed PFAS contamination above national limits at 629 sites across 26 prefectures in fiscal 2024, including locations near U.S. military bases, factories, and Self-Defense Force facilities. A UN special rapporteur has voiced 'most serious concern,' while Japan's standards lag far behind those of the U.S. and EU.