Mr. Noah Sneider, Tokyo Bureau Chief of The Economist, made a presentation on the above topic to Keizai Koho Center members who attended both in-person and online.

He explained that two tales are often told about Japan. The first is of a nation in decline, with a shrinking and ageing population, sapped of its vitality. The second is of an alluring, hyper-functional, somewhat eccentric society—a nice place to eat sushi or explore strange subcultures, but of little wider relevance to the outside world. He argued that both tales lead people to dismiss Japan, but that is a mistake. Japan is not an outlier—it is a harbinger. Many of the challenges it faces already affect other countries, or soon will, including rapid ageing, secular stagnation, the risk of natural hazards, and the peril of being caught between China and America. In some ways, Japan offers models. In others, cautionary tales. He concluded that either way, the world ought to pay attention to Japan.

The presentation was followed by a lively Q&A session.