NHK Documentary

Shrinking Japan: Tackling a Worker Shortage

After an era of growth, Japan's population has begun to plummet. Japan has lost 10 million members of the working generation over the past 2 decades. Retirees are plugging the gap, but they work in tough conditions and often fall prey to accidents. Foreigners are another pillar of the workforce. One local municipality is even committed to attracting overseas labor as a way to survive. We look at Japan's struggle to cope with its vanishing workforce and try to explore solutions.