Global Challenges: every key term you need (+ practice quiz)

More AP Japanese Language guides

• Personal and Public Identities
• Beauty and Aesthetics
• Science and Technology
• Contemporary Life

Kankyō mondai (環境問題)

Environmental problems; a core Global Challenges vocabulary item used in AP reading passages about pollution, climate, and conservation.

Chikyū ondanka (地球温暖化)

Global warming. Frequently paired with 気候変動 (climate change) in news-style texts and presentational writing prompts.

Shōshika (少子化)

Declining birthrate; Japan's total fertility rate has been well below replacement (about 1.2-1.3 in the 2020s), a central social challenge.

Kōreika shakai (高齢化社会)

Aging society; roughly 29% of Japan's population is 65 or older, the highest share in the world, straining pensions and caregiving.

Shōshi kōreika (少子高齢化)

The combined phenomenon of low birthrate and aging population, often cited as Japan's most pressing long-term demographic issue.

Jinkō genshō (人口減少)

Population decline; Japan's population peaked around 128 million in 2008 and has been shrinking since.

Kaso (過疎)

Rural depopulation; villages losing young residents to cities, leaving 空き家 (vacant houses) and closed schools.

Akiya (空き家)

Vacant houses, especially in rural areas; a visible symptom of population decline and urban migration.

Shizen saigai (自然災害)

Natural disasters; Japan faces earthquakes (地震), typhoons (台風), tsunami (津波), floods (洪水) and volcanic eruptions (噴火).

Higashi Nihon Daishinsai (東日本大震災)

The Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011 (3.11), which triggered a tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear accident.

Bōsai (防災)

Disaster preparedness; includes evacuation drills (避難訓練), emergency kits (非常袋), and hazard maps (ハザードマップ).

Hinan (避難)

Evacuation; 避難所 is an evacuation shelter and 避難訓練 is an evacuation drill held regularly in schools and workplaces.

Genpatsu (原発)

Nuclear power plant (short for 原子力発電所); energy policy debates after 2011 weigh nuclear against renewables and imported fossil fuels.

Saisei kanō enerugī (再生可能エネルギー)

Renewable energy such as solar (太陽光) and wind (風力); Japan targets a larger renewable share in its energy mix.

Gomi no bunbetsu (ごみの分別)

Sorting garbage into categories such as 燃えるごみ, 燃えないごみ, 資源ごみ; municipalities publish detailed rules and collection days.

Risaikuru (リサイクル)

Recycling; the 3R slogan (リデュース・リユース・リサイクル) is taught in schools and appears in public campaigns.

Mottainai (もったいない)

An expression of regret over waste; popularized globally by Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai as an environmental slogan.

Purasuchikku gomi (プラスチックごみ)

Plastic waste; since 2020 Japan requires stores to charge for plastic bags (レジ袋有料化) to reduce single-use plastics.

Shokuhin rosu (食品ロス)

Food loss or food waste; Japan discards several million tons of edible food per year, prompting campaigns and a 2019 reduction law.

Enerugī setsuyaku (エネルギー節約)

Energy conservation; 節電 (saving electricity) became a national habit after 2011, along with the Cool Biz dress campaign.

Kūru bizu (クールビズ)

A government campaign since 2005 encouraging lighter office attire so air conditioning can be set to 28°C in summer, saving energy.

Sekai isan (世界遺産)

World Heritage site; Japan's include Himeji Castle, Mount Fuji, Itsukushima Shrine, and Shirakawa-gō, raising conservation and tourism issues.

Ōbā tsūrizumu (オーバーツーリズム)

Overtourism; crowding in Kyoto and at Mount Fuji has led to visitor caps, entry fees, and etiquette campaigns for foreign tourists.

Rōdōryoku busoku (労働力不足)

Labor shortage; a direct effect of 少子高齢化 that drives immigration policy and workplace automation.

Gaikokujin rōdōsha (外国人労働者)

Foreign workers; the 2019 特定技能 (Specified Skilled Worker) visa expanded entry into sectors such as caregiving and construction.

Tabunka kyōsei (多文化共生)

Multicultural coexistence; local governments' term for policies helping foreign residents integrate while respecting diversity.

Ijime (いじめ)

Bullying, a persistent school issue; a 2013 law requires schools to prevent and report it.

Hikikomori (ひきこもり)

People who withdraw from society for six months or more; government surveys estimate over one million, across age groups.

Karōshi (過労死)

Death from overwork; the term entered international dictionaries and led to 働き方改革 (work-style reform) laws in 2018-2019.

Hatarakikata kaikaku (働き方改革)

Work-style reform: caps on overtime, mandatory paid leave, and promotion of telework to address overwork and low productivity.

Danjo byōdō (男女平等)

Gender equality; Japan ranks low on the Global Gender Gap Index, especially in politics and management.

Hinkon (貧困)

Poverty; child poverty (子どもの貧困) has drawn attention, with 子ども食堂 (children's cafeterias) offering free or cheap meals.

Kodomo shokudō (子ども食堂)

Community-run cafeterias offering low-cost meals and a place to belong for children; a grassroots response to poverty and isolation.

Heiwa (平和)

Peace; Hiroshima and Nagasaki memorials and Article 9 of the constitution shape Japan's public discourse on war and peace.

Genbaku dōmu (原爆ドーム)

The Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima, a World Heritage site preserved as a symbol of peace and nuclear disarmament.

SDGs (エスディージーズ)

The UN Sustainable Development Goals, widely promoted in Japanese schools and companies; the rainbow SDGs pin is a common sight.

Kokusai kyōryoku (国際協力)

International cooperation; JICA sends volunteers (青年海外協力隊) and provides development aid (ODA) abroad.

Kansensho (感染症)

Infectious disease; COVID-19 (新型コロナウイルス) normalized mask-wearing and remote work vocabulary in everyday Japanese.