World Business: Room to Grow 14/11/08

World Business: Japan is shrinking, at current rates, the world's number-two economy could lose one- third of its population by mid-century. The people-deficit is most keenly felt outside Japan's major cities. Rural towns are being forced to merge as their tax bases collapse. In desperation, some areas have adopted unusual tactics for survival. We travelled to far north-eastern Japan to take a look.