Japan's health ministry is set to eliminate out-of-pocket payments associated with child delivery, possibly from April next year, to address the country's declining birthrate.
I’m seeing articles about Japanese youth taking record advantage of temporary work programs like working holiday visas, but living abroad for 1-3 years is quite different from leaving Japan altogether. The bigger issues seem to be what’s causing both the temp work abroad and low birth rate issues: high CoL relative to wages, poor work culture, and general perception that the “traditional” life trajectory is unfulfilling/unrewarding.
Good idea, but it’s too little too late. The problem isn’t just births, young people are also leaving Japan in droves.
I’m seeing articles about Japanese youth taking record advantage of temporary work programs like working holiday visas, but living abroad for 1-3 years is quite different from leaving Japan altogether. The bigger issues seem to be what’s causing both the temp work abroad and low birth rate issues: high CoL relative to wages, poor work culture, and general perception that the “traditional” life trajectory is unfulfilling/unrewarding.