7 signs Japan has become a 'demographic time bomb'

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Japan sad fan

Reuters/Issei Kato

A Japanese soccer fan wipes her tears as Japan loses their 2014 World Cup soccer match against Colombia, at a public viewing event in Tokyo.

Japan is dealing with what economists call a "demographic time bomb."

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Through a vicious cycle of low fertility and low consumer spending, the country's economy has gradually shrunk over the last 25 years.

People are living longer, and they're heaping greater social-security costs onto younger generations who aren't having kids to replace them - thereby furthering the cycle.

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Here are some of the most visible signs in daily life that the time bomb is ticking.