The Depopulation Dividend: Demographic Decline & Environmental Change in Rural Japan
A Guest Lecture by Dr. Peter Matanle
Presented by the Center for Japanese Studies
This lecture explores the evolving relationship between demographic change and environmental sustainability through the lens of rural Japan. Beginning with his own firsthand experiences in the late 1980s as an Assistant Language Teacher in Tokushima Prefecture, Dr. Peter Matanle will reflect on how early encounters with aging and depopulating communities sparked his lasting intellectual and personal commitment to regional Japan.
Drawing on decades of research, this lecture examines how demographic shrinkage is reshaping rural landscapes, economies, and ecosystems. Central to this discussion is the concept of the “Depopulation Dividend”: the idea that population decline may, under certain conditions, produce socio-environmental benefits such as reduced resource consumption, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and diminished waste streams. At the same time, the lecture considers the complexities and uneven outcomes of depopulation, asking whether these potential environmental gains are realized in practice, and for whom. By situating Japan’s experience within broader global patterns of population decline, this talk offers a timely and thought-provoking perspective on sustainability, responsibility, and the future of regional communities.
5:30 PM | Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Smith Memorial Student Union
Room 327/8/9
Free and Open to the Public
Please use the entrance on SW Broadway
For more information on the CJS and our upcoming events, please visit: https://www.pdx.edu/japanese-studies