Japan's new prime minister, Naoto Kan, in his first major speech since taking office, said: "Japan is 'at risk of collapse' under its huge debt mountain."
For the past 20 years, Japan has been borrowing to keep its economy afloat. Most of Japan's bonds have been bought by Japanese citizens. Now with an aging population, Japanese citizens may not have the desire to purchase more bonds. The government would be forced to find other buyers who, most likely, would demand a higher yield.
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