Modern Japan's Fourth Challenge: The Political Economy of a Stagnant Population

The paper summarizes the problems that Japan faces during a period of falling and stagnant population and discusses their remedies. The problem of a stagnant population is well recognized and has been studied from a broad perspective by the Japanese government. This paper, however, defines the problem of action under three headings: (1) buying time; (2) building a new relationship between men and women; and (3) the political economy of a stagnant population.
JEL Classification Numbers: B1, H4, J1, O15, O50.