Japan, a place known for its exceptionally good food, its pop culture, and its sprawling fast-paced cities.

When it comes to geopolitics though,

it doesn't get talked about as much as neighbors like Russia and China.

But out of the spotlight and behind the curtain,

Japan is a powerful global player,

and one of the United States's most important allies.

The partnership has been cemented over decades, grounded in shared goals and shared values. But Japan also has a problem.

It's running out of people.

Its population is growing older and not enough babies are being born.

If the trend continues, it can weaken the country's role

on the world stage and this could have serious implications for the US and the

future of Asia. I'm Gabriel Sierra and this is why it matters. Today a demographic problem in

Japan. So the world's attention is going to be turning to Japan soon.

So the world's attention is going to be turning to Japan soon because the Olympic Games

are going to be beginning.

Is there a simple way to describe what life is like there?

Japan is kind of the lifestyle superpower of the world.

It's a very easy place to live at least on the surface.

This is Matoko Rich. She is the Tokyo Bureau Chief for the New York Times.

And then I think it's when you dig just a little bit below, you see that there are a lot of problems,

some of them looming in the future, and some of them very much there today,

and that makes it a place of somewhat cognitive dissonance.

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