Abroad in Japan · Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Discussing historical precedents for population inflation in Japan, it was noted that in the early 1970s, officials in the town of Haburo in Hokkaido created fictitious census forms to inflate population figures to achieve city status, resulting in prosecutions and suspended prison sentences.
“Hokkaido, in the early 70s, in the town of Haburo, officials created fictitious census forms to inflate the population in an effort to achieve city status. Several officials were prosecuted and suspended prison sentences were handed down.”