There are tons of great nuggets which we are in the process of extracting.
But one stopped us in our tracks:
At 21.3 million, the number of registered pet and dogs and cats now outnumbers the total number of children under the age of 15, at 16.5 million.
Japan's total population is forecast to shrink 30% to just 87 million by 2060. By that same year, people 65-and-older will comprise 40% of the country.
To be sure, Japanese dog breeds can't be beat for adorability.
But the seriousness of the demographic challenge the country faces can't be overstated.