Tokyo is set to make day care free for all preschool children starting in September, as announced by the city's governor as part of efforts to tackle Japan's low birth rate. The initiative aims to alleviate the financial strain on families by extending the existing policy of free day care for second-born and subsequent children to include first-borns as well.
While many developed nations grapple with low birth rates, Japan's situation is particularly severe, with the population declining for years. "Japan is confronting the crisis of a diminishing number of children, which shows no signs of abating," Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike stated while unveiling the plan. "There is no time to waste" in addressing this issue, she emphasized, aligning with warnings from the prime minister and other officials about an impending demographic crisis.
Japanese media reported that Tokyo's policy, one of the world's largest cities with a population of 14 million, marks the first such regional initiative in Japan. Currently, public day care is accessible to working parents, but the national government plans to expand this to all households. Koike also mentioned earlier this month her intention to introduce a four-day workweek option for government staff in Tokyo, part of a broader effort to support parenthood.
Japan, with the world's second-oldest population after Monaco, faces increasing labor shortages due to its relatively strict immigration policies. Koike, a former minister and television anchor who has governed Tokyo since 2016, secured a third term in July, pledging to enhance social welfare benefits while addressing challenges such as inflation.
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