Japan’s total population has fallen to 123.05 million, according to preliminary data from the 2025 national census, down by around 3.09 million from the previous such survey conducted five years earlier. The nation’s population has now shrunk for three censuses in a row — beginning with the 2015 survey when it fell for the first time since the government started conducting a census in 1920. With the latest data, Japan’s headcount plummeted by 2.5%, marking the most dramatic decline on record and accelerating from a 0.7% drop recorded in 2020. The nationwide census is conducted every five years and records the presence of everyone residing in Japan — including foreign residents — asking questions such as their age, gender and employment status. The latest data, released Friday, positions Japan as the 12th most populous country in the world, down from 11th place after the previous census.…