‘Don’t blame women’: Japan birth drive sparks online debate

A file photo of people walking with their umbrellas towards the Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo. Japan's government has made tackling its falling birth rate a top priority, but with few women involved in official debate on the issue, some are making themselves heard on social media. — AFP

TOKYO: Japan’s government has made tackling its falling birth rate a top priority, but with few women involved in official debate on the issue, some are making themselves heard on social media.

Japan recorded fewer than 800,000 births last year, the lowest in the country of 125 million since records began.