Okinawa’s remote island villages battle acute depopulation

In 2023, eight villages in Okinawa Prefecture had fewer than 10 childbirths, with Tonaki recording none, Tokashiki just one, and Izena and Tarama two each.

The eight villages — all of them on small, remote islands — account for one-fifth of the prefecture’s 41 municipalities.

Okinawa Prefecture has long held the nation’s record for having the highest total fertility rate, or the average number of children a woman will bear in her lifetime, boasting an image of “islands blessed with children.”