Tokyo, Japan - May 6, 2024

Japan's fertility rate, which has been plummeting for many years, has hit another record low as the government steps up efforts to encourage young people to marry and start a family, even launching its own dating app.

The country of 123.9 million people recorded only 727,277 births in 2023, according to new data released Friday by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The fertility rate - defined as the total number of times a woman gives birth in her lifetime - fell from 1.26 to 1.20.

For a population to remain stable, it needs a fertility rate of 2.1. Above that, the population expands, with a large proportion of children and young adults, as in India and many African countries.

But in Japan, the fertility rate has been well below that stable 2.1 marker for half a century, experts say: it fell below that level after the 1973 global oil crisis pushed economies into recession, and has never recovered.

The downward trend has accelerated in recent years, with the number of deaths exceeding the number of births each year and causing the total population to shrink, with far-reaching consequences for Japan's workforce, economy, welfare system and social fabric.

And Japan is not having much luck with marriage either: the number of marriages fell by 30,000 last year, while the number of divorces rose.

Still, the government is rushing to soften the impact, launching new government agencies to focus specifically on the problem. It has launched initiatives such as expanding childcare facilities, offering housing subsidies to parents and, in some cities, even paying couples to have children.

In Tokyo, the capital, local authorities are trying a new tactic: launching a government-run dating app, which is in the early stages of testing and will be fully operational by the end of this year.

"Please use it as 'the first step' to start matchmaking," says the app's website, adding that the AI matching system is provided by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Users are asked to take a "values diagnostic test", but there is also the option to enter the desired traits of a future partner.

"Based on your values and the values you are looking for in a partner, which can be determined by taking a diagnostic test, the AI will introduce you to a compatible person," it explains. "What cannot be measured by appearance or conditions alone can lead to unexpected matches."

SHOTLIST:
1. various of neonatal intensive care area of Tokyo hospital;
2. various of children in Tokyo;
3. various from the streets of Tokyo;
4. various of older adults in a Tokyo park.