In a message dated 09/05/1999 4:12:32 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
> The gist of the article was that Japan is aging very quickly
> and will experience sharp declines in population during the
> next century. The result being that Japan's relative importance
> in the world will decline. The existence of once bustling
> islands that now have only a few elderly residents (that
> the government nevertheless spends huge sums on to ensure
> ongoing regular ferry service and all modern conveniences
> as a matter of honor and obligation) was used to introduce
> this point.
Look. This is a really interesting article you have presented. However, Japan being depicted as being filled with nothing but oldsters can't be right-or at least the focus isn't. Perhaps the Japan of the 2010 -2050 era may be depicted as a place which has lossed a huge amount fo population compared to the 1980's. But conversely, is a much richer place because of computerized robotic technology and a smaller population to support. Lets say that a population of 75-80 million(versus 120 million today) isn't exactly, a dearth of people for a total land area the size of Oregon.
For me personally, it evokes a vision of a very advanced society that is geared for the future, yet also closely bound to it ancient past. Now what China and India and Indonesia have to say about what Japan becomes is another story.