Except for like three or four cities, Japan has been rapidly depopulating, to the point where some towns and villages are giving away properties.

Even Tokyo has started declining in population.

Wow, population estimates for 2022 have Japan at roughly back to 1995 population levels. By comparison, the US population is ~25% larger than it was in 1995.

Population growth rate by country:

https://www.indexmundi.com/g/r.aspx?v=24

USA: +0.71, 135th out of 235

Japan: -0.29, 215th out of 235