According to a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on October 7, Japanese authorities are investigating officials in a city in the central region for suspected false reporting of population numbers in the recent census.
On the 3rd, the Japanese police conducted a search of the Toyama City government. Previously, the Japanese central government had filed a criminal lawsuit, accusing officials of falsely increasing the local population by more than 2,000 people.
Population census data is used as the basis for calculating the allocation of funds by the central government. According to an estimate from that city, Toyama City may have received an additional allocation of 60 million yen (approximately 2.54 million yuan).
Japan is facing a problem of continuous population decline and rapid aging. Last year, in all 47 prefectures of Japan, except Tokyo, the population decreased in all regions, and the rate of decline is accelerating. Approximately 30% of the residents are aged 65 or above.
According to the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the actual population of Toyama City last year was 399,197 people, which is lower than the reported 402,133 people in May, which were suspected to be exaggerated.
Initial investigations show that the involved officials altered the data of households initially marked as vacant by census takers, resulting in an increase of more than 2,000 residents.
Fushan City Mayor Fujii Yuki stated that the city government will cooperate with the investigation, but denied any "instructions from senior officials to falsify census data".
According to the Japan Times, he said at a press conference last Friday, "I will take the necessary responsibility at the appropriate time."
According to Japanese law, those who falsify statistical data can be fined or imprisoned for up to six months.
Japanese statistical bureau officials expressed outrage when the incident was first exposed last month. Tomurim Akihiro, head of the bureau's census department, said, "It is extremely regrettable that such misconduct occurred in one of the country's most fundamental and important statistical surveys."
Japan conducts a national census every five years. The latest data shows that as of October 1, 2025, Japan's total population (including foreign residents) is close to 123 million, which is a decrease of about 3.17 million people compared to 2020, representing a decline of 2.5%.
