Japan races to rescue quake survivors as population hits 42-year low

On July 30, 2026, Japanese rescuers were racing against time to find survivors after a strong earthquake struck Japan, with hospitals struggling to cope and a shopping mall collapsing. Defense Minister Sanae Takaichi warned of a 'race against time' to rescue those trapped. Meanwhile, separate data showed that the number of Japanese nationals fell below 120 million for the first time in 42 years, marking the largest decline on record. The quake response and the population drop are separate events, but both highlight challenges facing Japan.