In 2023, the total population in Japan's capital Tokyo Prefecture amounted to approximately **** million inhabitants. Tokyo's population rebounded after it declined for the first time post-WWII in ****.

In 2024, about 93.7 percent of men aged 45 to 54 years in Tokyo Prefecture in Japan were employed. The employment rate of men aged 65 years and older declined to 35.2 percent.

In 1800, the population of Japan was just over 30 million, a figure which would grow by just two million in the first half of the 19th century. However, with the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate and the restoration of the emperor in the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Japan would begin transforming from an isolated feudal island, to a modernized empire built on Western models. The Meiji period would see a rapid rise in the population of Japan, as industrialization and advancements in healthcare lead to a significant reduction in child mortality rates, while the creation overseas colonies would lead to a strong economic boom. However, this growth would slow beginning in 1937, as Japan entered a prolonged war with the Republic of China, which later grew into a major theater of the Second World War. The war was eventually brought to Japan's home front, with the escalation of Allied air raids on Japanese urban centers from 1944 onwards (Tokyo was the most-bombed city of the Second World War). By the war's end in 1945 and the subsequent occupation of the island by the Allied military, Japan had suffered over two and a half million military fatalities, and over one million civilian deaths.

The population figures of Japan were quick to recover, as the post-war “economic miracle” would see an unprecedented expansion of the Japanese economy, and would lead to the country becoming one of the first fully industrialized nations in East Asia. As living standards rose, the population of Japan would increase from 77 million in 1945, to over 127 million by the end of the century. However, growth would begin to slow in the late 1980s, as birth rates and migration rates fell, and Japan eventually grew to have one of the oldest populations in the world. The population would peak in 2008 at just over 128 million, but has consistently fallen each year since then, as the fertility rate of the country remains below replacement level (despite government initiatives to counter this) and the country's immigrant population remains relatively stable. The population of Japan is expected to continue its decline in the coming years, and in 2020, it is estimated that approximately 126 million people inhabit the island country.

With approximately ** million inhabitants, Tokyo Prefecture was the largest prefecture based on population size in Japan as of 2023. The smallest prefecture in this regard was Tottori Prefecture, which in the same year counted about ******* residents. Rural depopulation Like many industrial economies, Japan is facing the problem of depopulating rural areas. While the birth rate continues to decline, many young people decide to migrate from small towns and villages to large cities like Tokyo or Osaka for higher education and employment. The population of Tokyo Prefecture has shown substantial growth over the past decades and consists largely of working age citizens. Smaller communities are trying to counteract the depopulation process with initiatives meant to invite younger workers and tourists back. Migration to Japan Japan is often described as a very homogenous society, with a low share of foreign residents. Despite the declining birthrate and many businesses experiencing a labor shortage, companies have been hesitant to employ foreign workers, in part due to the strict immigration laws. The Japanese Government has tried to ease immigration restrictions and encourage foreigners to work in Japan. The largest share of foreign workers in Japan, however, is residing in the county with a permanent residence or as the family member of a Japanese national.

As of May 2022, the number of attorneys per 10,000 people in Tokyo, Japan, amounted to approximately ****. Tokyo had the highest attorney to population ratio among all prefectures in Japan, followed by Osaka and Kyoto.

The ongoing multi-wave COVID-19 pandemic has disproportional impacts on people with different demographic and socioeconomic background, and their access to healthcare facilities. Vulnerable neighborhoods with low healthcare access are places most needed for the enhancement of medical resources and services. Measuring vulnerability to COVID-19 and healthcare accessibility at the fine-grained level serves as the foundation for spatially explicit health planning and policy making in response to future public health crisis. Despite of its importance, the evaluation of vulnerability and healthcare accessibility is insufficient in Japan—a nation with high population density and super-aging challenge. Drawing on the latest 2022 census data at the smallest statistical unit, as well as transport network, medical and digital cadastral data, land use maps, and points of interest data, our study reformulates the concept of vulnerability in the context of COVID-19 and constructs the first fine-grained measure of vulnerability and healthcare accessibility in Tokyo Metropolis, Japan—the most popular metropolitan region in the world. We delineate the vulnerable neighborhoods with low healthcare access and further evaluate the disparity in healthcare access and built environment of areas at different levels of vulnerability. Our outcome datasets and findings provide nuanced and timely evidence to government and health authorities to have a holistic and latest understanding of social vulnerability to COVID-19 and healthcare access at a fine-grained level. Our analytical framework can be employed to different geographic contexts, guiding through the place-based health planning and policy making in the post-COVID era and beyond.

Over the last decade, Japan’s population has aged more and more, to the point where more than a quarter of Japanese were 65 years and older in 2022. Population growth has stopped and even reversed, since it’s been in the red for several years now.

It’s getting old

With almost 30 percent of its population being elderly inhabitants, Japan is considered the “oldest” country in the world today. Japan boasts a high life expectancy, in fact, the Japanese tend to live longer than the average human worldwide. The increase of the aging population is accompanied by a decrease of the total population caused by a sinking birth rate. Japan’s fertility rate has been below the replacement rate for many decades now, mostly due to economic uncertainty and thus a decreasing number of marriages.

Are the Japanese invincible?

There is no real mystery surrounding the ripe old age of so many Japanese. Their high average age is very likely due to high healthcare standards, nutrition, and an overall high standard of living – all of which could be adopted by other industrial nations as well. But with high age comes less capacity, and Japan’s future enemy might not be an early death, but rather a struggling social network.

As of 2025, Tokyo-Yokohama in Japan was the largest world urban agglomeration, with 37 million people living there. Delhi ranked second with more than 34 million, with Shanghai in third with more than 30 million inhabitants.

The population of Tokyo City amounted to approximately **** million people in 2023. Sapporo, the largest city on the northern Japanese island Hokkaido, came in fifth with around **** million inhabitants in the same year.

東京都の下水道排水区域人口の統計データです。最新の2022年の数値「13,750,230人」を含む1976～2022年までの推移グラフや人口が近い神奈川県(神奈川県)との比較表などの情報を無料で公開しています。csv形式でのダウンロードも可能でEXCELでも開けますので、研究や分析レポートにお役立て下さい。

東京都の１５歳以上人口（就業構造基本調査）の統計データです。最新の2022年の数値「12,459(千人)」を含む1977～2022年までの推移グラフや人口が近い神奈川県(神奈川県)との比較表などの情報を無料で公開しています。csv形式でのダウンロードも可能でEXCELでも開けますので、研究や分析レポートにお役立て下さい。

In 2022, the total population of the Guangdong - Hong Kong - Macao Greater Bay Area reached around 86.6 million. In terms of population, China's Greater Bay Area was larger than other major Bay Areas in the world. However, per capita GDP was only about half of that in the Tokyo Bay Area and only one seventh of that in the San Francisco Bay Area.

東京都の自殺率（人口10万対）の統計データです。最新の2022年の数値「16.3%」を含む2009～2022年までの推移グラフや人口が近い神奈川県(神奈川県)との比較表などの情報を無料で公開しています。csv形式でのダウンロードも可能でEXCELでも開けますので、研究や分析レポートにお役立て下さい。

Tokyo Prefecture continued to be a magnet for domestic migration in Japan, attracting nearly 58,500 new residents from other prefectures in 2023. By contrast, Hiroshima Prefecture showed the highest population loss due to outbound migration within the country, with a net loss of approximately 7,400 migrants. Attractiveness of Tokyo The population density in the prefecture has grown over the past two decades, surpassing 6,400 inhabitants per square kilometer in 2020. The appealing nature of Tokyo is also reflected in the age demographics of the metropolis, with most residents falling within the working-age group of 15 to 64 years. Numerous prestigious universities and large corporations make the area a popular destination for young people with aspirations. Depopulation of rural areas The migration patterns across Japan's prefectures indicate significant regional disparities. While Tokyo leads in population size with 14 million inhabitants in 2023, prefectures like Tottori struggle to retain residents, counting only about 540,000 people. This imbalance has prompted concerns about the sustainability of rural communities and has led to various initiatives aimed at revitalizing less populous areas. The Japanese government faces the complex task of addressing these demographic shifts while also navigating challenges resulting from a nationwide aging population due to prolonged life expectancy and fertility decline.

In 2023, the total population in Japan slightly decreased to just below 125 million people compared to the previous year, with the female population reaching around 63.9 million, as compared to 60.5 million men. The oldest population in the world  Japanese society is facing severe demographic problems such as decreasing birthrates, remaining under one million births annually recently, and a thereby aging population. The country’s average age lies at around 48 years, making its population the oldest in the world. Elderly people aged 65 years and older accounted for about 29 percent of the population in 2023. According to a forecast, the age group 65 years and older would make up approximately 39 percent of the Japanese population by 2070. Challenges with the demographic shift The rapid aging of the society poses significant economic and sociopolitical challenges to the country, as the workforce will continue to shrink while increasingly more elderly will receive long-term support. Currently, close to seven million Japanese require long-term care, leading to national benefit expenses of over 14 trillion yen annually, including in-home and community-based services.

In Japan, the population sex ratio has seen slight changes over the past decades. In 2021, the number of men was around 94.6 for every 100 women, constituting a decrease from 96.1 in 1950.

What is the sex ratio? The population sex ratio is determined by the sex ratio at birth, different mortality rates between men and women, as well as losses and gains through migration. In the absence of alteration, the sex ratio in human populations is quite constant, with only minor deviations. While the sex ratio at birth is usually 105 to 107, the population sex ratio, which refers to the total number of males for every 100 females, is often below 100. The reason for the shift mostly lies in differing lifestyles and physical constitutions of men and women. In general, women tend to be more resistant to disease throughout life, while men tend to engage in higher risk behavior or violence.

Influences and consequences
The sex ratio at birth and its possible determinants such as gestation environment, climate change, chemical pollution or socio-economic factors have long been subject to scientific research. Recently the impact of natural disasters, like the nuclear disaster in Japan in 2011, was presumed to influence the sex ratio at birth. The adult gender ratio has long been recognized as a key population-level determinant of behavior. However, there are many different or competing theories in existing literature about the social impacts of gender imbalance on topics such as violence, family stability, reproduction etc.

In 2023, the number of international tourists visiting Tokyo in Japan amounted to around ***** million. This was a record number, surpassing the hitherto high point from 2019 by several million visitors stays, continuing the upward trend that was observable before the COVID-19 pandemic. Why did foreign visitor numbers in Tokyo increase during the past decade? If we look at pre-COVID-19 times, foreign visitor numbers significantly increased in the whole of Japan during the past decade. One of the reasons for this might be the Japanese government’s endeavors to promote tourism and proliferate Japanese culture, perhaps best embodied by the marketing term “Cool Japan” developed by Japan’s government. Various policies and long-term projects, such as the “Inbound Travel Promotion Project”, or the “Promotion of MICE Hosting and Attraction”, had been devised and enacted to attract international tourists and make Japan a tourism hub. The government started investing substantially in tourism more than a decade ago, as it realized the potential of tourism to invigorate the Japanese economy. The improvement of facilities and infrastructure to meet foreign expectations were accompanied by the relaxation of visa entry requirements, which resulted in heightened inbound travel. How does Tokyo compare to other places in Japan? Tokyo was the most visited prefecture among international tourists , with nearly half of foreign travelers who came to Japan paying a visit to the capital. This situation was also reflected in data regarding airports. Narita International and Tokyo International (Haneda) were among the leading airports in terms of the number of passengers handled on international flights and together accounted for more than half the international entries by airplane to the country. Who is visiting? Most international visitors to Japan come from Asian countries, with China, South Korea, and Taiwan occupying the first three places. Visitor numbers from the U.S. are the only exception to the otherwise predominant Asian traveler base, with figures surpassing the one million mark regularly.

In 2022, close to 100 percent of the population in Tokyo Prefecture in Japan had access to wastewater treatment. By comparison, only around **** percent of the citizens in Tokushima Prefecture had access to wastewater treatment.

Wastewater treatment

The overall percentage of population served by wastewater treatment systems in Japan reached around **** percent in the same year, indicating a steady increase. This implies that approximately ** million people had no access to wastewater treatment. In the municipalities with less than ** thousand inhabitants, around ** percent of the population received wastewater treatment. In terms of types of treatment, most citizens in Japan were served with sewage lines. A minority of under ten percent was served with septic tanks, agricultural drainage facilities, and less than one percent were with community wastewater treatment plants.

Sewage lines

In 2021, the share of population with access to sewage treatment facilities in Japan amounted to around **** percent. The prefectures with the lowest accessibility rate of sewage treatment were Tokushima and Wakayama Prefecture. Following the increasing number of marine pollution cases alongside with the rapid industrialization, the Japanese government enacted the Water Pollution Prevention Act in 1970. Sewage lines available in the country are regulated under this act.

In the past decade, Japan’s degree of urbanization has leveled off at around 92.04 percent. This means that less than 10 percent of Japan’s population of 126 million inhabitants do not live in an urban setting. Japan is well above the degree of urbanization worldwide, which is 55 percent. Japan is also known for its high population density: In 2017, it amounted to an eye-watering 347.78 inhabitants per square kilometer - however, it is not even among the top twenty countries with the highest population density worldwide. That ranking is lead by Monaco, followed by China, and Singapore. Japan’s aging population The main demographic challenge that Japan currently faces is an aging population, as the number of inhabitants over 65 years old is an increasing percentage of the population. As of 2018, Japan is the country with the largest percentage of total population over 65 years, and life expectancy at birth there is about 84 years. Simultaneously, the birth rate in Japan is declining, resulting in negative population growth in recent years. One method Japan is using to address these demographic shifts is by investing in automated work processes; it's one of the top countries interested in collaborative robots.

In 2023, the number of pet dogs held in Japan was estimated at around *** million. While dogs remained one of the most popular animal species held as pets, the ownership rate declined steadily in recent years. Dogs in Japanese households Dogs are high in demand as pets in Japan for their friendly and playful nature. While their function used to be practical as watchdogs or helpers on the fields, the animals are increasingly integrated into the modern household structure. Reflecting their increasing role as a family member, small dog breeds are preferred among Japanese owners, with breeders catering to the demand for small mixed breeds and designer dogs like toy poodles. With the residential real estate market facing the challenge of high demand for affordable living spaces and a lack of space in general, small breeds are a welcomed solution for households in metropolitan areas, in particular, that desire an animal companion but lack a garden or the free space to roam the neighborhood. Four-legged friends have overtaken children The pet boom at the beginning of the 20th century has been driving the growth of the pet population in Japan, with the estimated number of cats and dogs together surpassing the number of children aged 14 or below in Japan. Due to a large number of abandoned pets that are unaccounted for, municipalities are facing the challenge of containing growing stray populations. To address the issues and emphasize the responsibility of owners for their animal companions, dogs and cats that are sold from June 2022 onwards require microchipping with the owner’s information.