The Japanese government has reduced working hours to four days in an effort to increase fertility and family time. In a statement made by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government on Wednesday, it was announced that a four-day working day will be implemented as of April.
A four-day working day is being implemented in Tokyo, the capital of Japan, in an effort to increase birth rates. In a statement made by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government on Wednesday, it was announced that a four-day working day will be implemented as of April. Parents whose children are in grades one to three in elementary school will also be allowed to leave work early. Those who want to benefit from this privilege will have their salaries cut. “We will ensure that no one has to give up their career because of childbirth or childcare. We will review flexibility in work styles,” Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said in announcing the plan. Japan’s fertility rate, which has been declining for many years, continues to fall despite the government’s efforts to encourage young people to marry and start families. The population over the age of 65 has risen to 36.227 million and the population over the age of 75 has risen to 20.08 million, while the population aged 0 to 14 has fallen to 14.173 million. According to the World Bank, 55 percent of women and 72 percent of men in Japan participated in the workforce last year. The gender gap in the country is wider than in other high-income countries.
