Japan’s population shrinks to 42-year low as foreign residents hit record high

Foreign residents becoming central to how the country keeps its economy running draws parallels for migration and integration debates in Asian American and other diaspora communities.

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Japan’s population has dropped below 120 million for the first time in 42 years, according to government data released Wednesday, as births hit a record low and the general population continues to age.

By the numbers

As of Jan. 1, Japanese nationals numbered 119,736,483, marking the biggest single-year drop in a data series stretching back…