Japanese youth participate in a Peace Memorial Mass at Urakami Cathedral in Nagasaki, Japan, on Aug. 9, 2025, the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of that city. (OSV News photo/Mihoko Owada, Catholic Standard) Shortly after Pope Leo XIV lamented the declining birth rate in Europe, the cardinal of Tokyo said Japan is also facing a similar crisis. In Rome, Japanese Cardinal Isao Kikuchi of Tokyo said Japan’s birth rate has been significantly low in recent years, with the total fertility rate standing at 1.15 per woman in 2024.…
