[Japan] Tokyo to make childcare free for second-born children

On January 12, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced that it plans to make childcare services at nurseries free for all second-born children living in the capital as of October 2023, as part of efforts to address the rapidly falling birthrate in Japan, The Japan Times.

The measure will apply to children between the ages of 0 and 2 and have no limitations, such as being within a certain household income bracket, as the local government wants to incentivise families to have more than one child.

The Tokyo government will also reportedly provide subsidies for healthy women wishing to freeze their eggs for future pregnancies, on the condition that they participate in a study exploring their age and motives for doing so.

On January 12, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced that it plans to make childcare services at nurseries free for all second-born children living in the capital as of October 2023, as part of efforts to address the rapidly falling birthrate in Japan, The Japan Times.

The measure will apply to children between the ages of 0 and 2 and have no limitations, such as being within a certain household income bracket, as the local government wants to incentivise families to have more than one child.

The Tokyo government will also reportedly provide subsidies for healthy women wishing to freeze their eggs for future pregnancies, on the condition that they participate in a study exploring their age and motives for doing so.