France: Japan hits record low births as fewer people get married.

SHOTLIST TOKYO, JAPAN (APRIL 25, 2026) (FILE FOOTAGE) 1. PEOPLE AND VEHICLES MOVING ON STREET 2. POLICE OFFICERS TALKING ON PAVEMENT 3. PEOPLE AND VEHICLES MOVING ON STREET TOKYO, JAPAN (APRIL 2, 2026) (FILE FOOTAGE) 4. MEGURO RIVER LINED WITH CHERRY BLOSSOMS 5. PEOPLE WALKING PAST SHOPS ALONG MEGURO RIVER 6. VARIOUS OF CHERRY BLOSSOMS AND VISITORS TOKYO, JAPAN (MARCH 31, 2023) (FILE FOOTAGE) 7. VARIOUS OF SAKURA TREES AROUND TOKYO, PEOPLE TAKING PHOTOS TOKYO, JAPAN (JANUARY 1, 2026) (FILE FOOTAGE) 8. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE GATHERED AT MEIJI JINGU SHRINE FOR NEW YEAR PRAYERS TOKYO, JAPAN (DECEMBER 24, 2025) (FILE FOOTAGE) 9. VARIOUS OF CHILDREN TRAINING AND COMPETING ON PITCH TOKYO, JAPAN (OCTOBER 1, 2024) (FILE FOOTAGE) 10. VARIOUS OF ELDERLY PEOPLE PERFORMING TAI CHI IN PARK TOKYO, JAPAN (JUNE 17, 2025) (FILE FOOTAGE) 11. VARIOUS OF CITY STREETS WITH PEOPLE AND VEHICLES TOKYO, JAPAN (MAY 18, 2025) (FILE FOOTAGE) 12. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WEARING TRADITIONAL COSTUMES PARADING TO TEMPLE DURING SANJA MATSURI FESTIVAL TOKYO, JAPAN (MAY 19, 2024) (FILE FOOTAGE) 13. PARTICIPANTS WEARING GEISHA COSTUMES PARADING DURING SANJA MATSURI FESTIVAL 14. VARIOUS OF PARTICIPANTS WEARING TRADITIONAL COSTUMES PARADING, CARRYING PORTABLE SHRINES AND CHEERING 15. CHILDREN PARADING AND CARRYING PORTABLE SHRINE TOKYO, JAPAN (APRIL 22, 2024) (FILE FOOTAGE) 16. VARIOUS OF VISITORS AND WORSHIPPERS AT YASUKUNI SHRINE 17. VARIOUS OF MONKS PREPARING AND PARADING 18. ENTRANCE OF SHRINE WITH FLAGS AND PEOPLE 19. PEOPLE WALKING TOWARD ENTRANCE 20. WIDE SHOT OF PEOPLE SITTING IN FRONT OF STAGE IN SHRINE GROUNDS, WATCHING MUSICIANS (FILE VIDEO) TOKYO, JAPAN (FROM APRIL 2024 TO APRIL 2026) Japan's annual number of births and fertility rate have fallen to record lows, underscoring the country's deepening demographic crisis as fewer people marry and start families, according to media reports. Government data released this week showed that just over 671,000 babies were born in 2025, nearly 15,000 fewer than the previous year and the lowest since records began in 1899, NHK reported late Friday. The fertility rate -- the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime -- also declined to a record low of 1.14. The figures mark the tenth consecutive year of falling births and have alarmed experts, who said the decline is occurring much faster than previously forecast. Government researchers had projected that fertility would not reach such a low level until the 2040s. A key factor behind the trend is a sharp drop in marriages. Japan recorded nearly 800,000 marriages annually at the start of the century, but that number has fallen to around 500,000. Since most children in Japan are born to married couples, fewer marriages have contributed to the decline in births. But despite those factors, surveys show that about 80% of single Japanese still hope to marry. Experts said changing social patterns have made it harder for people to meet potential partners. Fewer couples now meet through traditional channels such as workplaces, schools or mutual friends, partly due to remote work and greater concerns about privacy and workplace harassment. As a result, marriage agencies are seeing renewed popularity, particularly among younger adults seeking more structured and efficient ways to find long-term partners. Japan's aging and shrinking population remains one of the country's most pressing economic and social challenges.