Tokyo is currently experiencing a record low in fertility rates and is planning to introduce a four-day work week for government employees with the aim of helping working mothers and getting the fertility rate higher.
According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the plan, which will come into effect in April, could give employees three days off a week.
Another policy would allow parents with children in the earlier years of primary school (referred to as elementary in Japan) to have the option to exchange a bit of their salary to clock out early.
Tokyo’s Governor, Yuriko Koike, shared the plans in a policy speech on Wednesday. She said: “We will review work styles… with flexibility, ensuring no one has to give up their career to life events such as childbirth or childcare.”
Japan’s birth rate hit a record low of 1.2. The country’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare data revealed that 727,277 births were registered in 2023, over 43,000 less than the previous year.
However, Tokyo’s rate fell below 1.0 for the first time, despite the rate needing to be 2.1 to stabilise a population.
The Governor added: “Now is the time for Tokyo to take the initiative to protect and enhance the lives, livelihoods, and economy of our people during these challenging times for the nation.”
The Japanese government has been doing all it can to increase the birth rate by encouraging more young people to get married and start families. Multiple policies were also being introduced to try to undo the population crisis.
Many of the local governments are focusing on improving work conditions because the overtime work culture in Japan creates a big challenge for those who plan to have and raise children.
The average weekly working hours in Japan is just over 42, with some self-employed workers reaching up to 49, despite the legal limit being 40 hours. Because of the difficult working patterns, workers often suffer from health risks and, in extreme cases, “karoshi”, which translates to overwork death, a term used in relation to occupation-related sudden death.
While the decision to revisit working patterns comes as a shock to some Japanese companies, it is seen as necessary for the city where, like many other places, women have to decide between a career and family.