Shrinking population the bane of Japan

The national census and surveys in Japan point to a demographic crisis. Japan has one of the highest life expectancies and one of the lowest fertility rates in the world. As a result, children below the age of 15 account for a record low 12.5 percent of the population, the Japanese Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry announced on April 1. The percentage of people aged 65 years and above has also hit a record, albeit on the higher side: 25.6 percent.

The announcement has left Japanese policymakers, both central and provincial, wracking their brains to solve this unprecedented demographic problem. Some of the suggested solutions were indeed bizarre. For example, Tomonaga Osada, member of Shinshiro city assembly in Aichi prefecture, suggested that "punctured condoms" be distributed among married couples to increase the birth rate. Osada has got a stern warning from the assembly, and he also has apologized for his plan to turn the city hall into "a nice and friendly place" for couples.

Another suggestion was to include locally grown yams in the diet because they are believed to be mild aphrodisiacs.