[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, predicted on the 8th (local time) that Japan will "eventually disappear" following its population decline.
After quoting a recent Kyodo News article on his Twitter account stating that Japan's population decreased by 644,000?the largest drop since 1950?Musk wrote, "To take the risk of stating an obvious fact, unless a special change occurs so that the birth rate surpasses the death rate, Japan will eventually disappear." He also added, "This is a great loss to the world."
His tweet sparked controversy, with Twitter users presumed to be Japanese disputing his remarks. A netizen using the name 'Sachiko Ishikawa' said, "A tweet like this from the world's richest person makes me very uncomfortable." User 'Matt Alt' wrote, "Japan is not going anywhere. The decline in birth rates is not a problem unique to developed countries but simply a characteristic." 'Mr. Maxthilly' pointed out, "Unfortunately, this person is not a genius."
Other users agreed with Musk's opinion, posting comments such as "It is true and concerning" and "Japan is very important to the world. Japan is needed not only for survival but also for prosperity."
Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications announced on the 15th of last month that as of October 1st last year, Japan's total population was 125.5 million, a decrease of 644,000 from the previous year. This decline is the largest since comparable statistics began in 1950. Japan's population has decreased for 11 consecutive years since 2011. The proportion of elderly people aged 65 and over in Japan rose by 0.3 percentage points from the previous year to 28.9%, setting a new record high.
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