As a countermeasure against the falling birth rate, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike revealed in her New Year’s speech at the Metropolitan Government Building on Wednesday (4) that she plans to distribute about 5,000 yen (about HK$300) to each Tokyo resident aged aged 18 and under pay their own educational expenses.
The Tokyo metropolitan government is exploring not setting a revenue cap, including the cost of the new plan in its fiscal 2023 budget, and starting providing cash before the end of the year, Kyodo news agency reported. .
“Nikkei Asia” quoted the Tokyo metropolitan government as saying that the cost of education in the Japanese capital exceeds the national average by about 5,000 yen a month, meaning cash subsidies issued by the plan will be used to make up the difference. If the benefit were broadly applied in Tokyo, which has about 2 million residents aged 18 and under, it would mean an annual education support budget of about 120 billion yen.
“The population problem is the foundation of a country. We cannot wait for the national government to act, but we must take the lead in strengthening specific measures,” Koike said in his speech. He also mentioned that the number of newborns in the country last year was less than 800,000, which is expected to hit a new low. He stressed that this is a shocking situation that shakes the foundations of social survival. He believes that the Japanese government’s 2023 budget has not created momentum to immediately get rid of the low birth rate, stressing that the situation is urgent, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government will take the lead in enriching specific countermeasures.
“Nikkei Asia” pointed out that since Koike took office as governor of Tokyo in 2004, he has always prioritized supporting children and has taken many measures to this end, such as alleviating the shortage of daycare centers.
Tokyo implemented a “Baby First” program last year, offering parents of babies born after January 2009 100,000 yen in gift cards to purchase parenting supplies. Koike also established a Children’s Policy Coordination Office, which is responsible for formulating children’s policies of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
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