Japan’s population drops for 12th consecutive year

Japanese government data released Wednesday reports the country’s population has dropped more than half a million since last year, falling for the 12th consecutive year in a row. In January, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told lawmakers that Japan is "on the brink of not being able to maintain social functions" due to the falling birth rate. Kishida said child-rearing support legislation was Japan’s “most important policy.”