Men must change to reverse Japan's rapidly declining birthrate At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan braced itself for the devastation of its elderly population. Yet, the biggest demographic blow arrived not in the form of more people dying but fewer people being born. Extrapolating the latest government statistics from January to March, Japan can expect 80,000 fewer babies this year -- a 9.2% fall in the birthrate compared to 2020 -- while COVID-19 has so far claimed the lives of fewer than 13,000 people. Not only is Japan graying rapidly, but its population is also shrinking at an alarming speed. If we believe that a stable and well-balanced population is essential to a nation's sustainability, then we must act fast to counteract this demographic crisis. To put it simply: We need more couples to want to have babies.