Japan’s imported baby boom spotlights a political and demographic timebomb

Rise in births to non-Japanese comes as politicians keep dodging the choice between economic decline and a more diverse population

This week brought encouraging news for Japan's long battle to defuse its demographic timebomb: in 2024, the number of babies born to one sector of the population rose to a record of more than 22,000 - that's about 3,000 more than the previous year and a 50% increase on a decade ago.

But none of the women who answered calls - invariably issued by conservative male politicians - to have more children were Japanese.