Shinzo Abe's government released a draft plan to halt the decline of the Japanese population. Without a higher birth rate, health care and retirement systems are no longer viable. The draft plan includes two parts, a long-term vision and a comprehensive strategy to boost births.

Tokyo (AsiaNews) - About a year after announcing a plan, the Japanese government has come up with a policy draft with regards to population growth and fertility rate targets; however, it failed to present any specific step to end the population decline.

"There are no decisive measures that are certain to lead (to higher fertility rates)," the government's draft plan read, and "no surprise measures, either."

The document gives a sense of crisis over the population decrease. The latter "could ultimately endanger the sustainability (of Japan) as a country," threatening its health care and pension systems as well as industrial productivity.

Japans' birth rate now stands at 1.43 (one of the lowest in the world). The government wants however to boost it to 1.8 by 2030, hoping to raise it to 2.07 by 2040.

At the same time, the authorities do not want to appear to be interfering. In fact, the draft plan did address the potential criticism. "Marriage and childbearing are based on an individual person's free decision," it said. "Therefore, pressure must not be applied over those decisions."

Broadly speaking, the draft consists of two parts: a "long-term vision" on measures to deal with the population decrease and revitalise local economies, and a "comprehensive strategy" for concrete measures that should be taken by 2020. Still, doubts persist.

The plan in fact cites three fields the government should focus on: easing the concentration of people and other factors in Tokyo; fulfilling young people's desires for jobs, marriage and child-rearing; and tackling challenges based on the characteristics of each area. Yet, it concludes that "It will take a long time (to end the population decrease)."

The Japanese Catholic Church has been trying to raise awareness about the problem among Japan's 127 million population.

As part of this, the Bishops' Conference declared 2010 the "Year of life" and carried out medical and social activities in favour of pregnancies.

However, this did not lead to positive results. Many couples wait far too long before having children, focusing instead on their career.

What is more, a high teen suicide rate and consumerism do not bode well for the future.

• japan
• population
• demographics
• policy
• draft
• fertility
• rates