Waka Ikeda is a Tokyo-based freelance journalist covering society, culture and the movie industry.
Government matchmaking efforts won't solve the nation's fertility crisis


Parents stand with their baby on a pedestrian bridge near Mita Station in Tokyo. The average number of births per woman in Japan was just 1.15 in 2024. © AP
Waka Ikeda is a Tokyo-based freelance journalist covering society, culture and the movie industry.