PremiumThe Japanese government is offering $7,500 per child to families moving out of Greater Tokyo. According to a report by the Guardian, the Japanese government has taken this initiative in a bid to reverse population decline in the regions.
The incentive will be introduced in April this year as part of an official push to breathe life into declining towns and villages.
The Guardian in its report said that the population of Tokyo fell dramatically last year- partly due to the coronavirus pandemic, the policymakers believe more should be done to lower the city's population and encourage people to start new lives in "unfashionable" parts of the country that has been hit by aging and shrinking population and migration to big cities like Osaka and Tokyo.
The payments will be offered to families living in 23 "core" wards of Tokyo, other parts of the metropolitan area.
To avail of benefits, families in Tokyo must shift from Tokyo to mountainous areas that lie within the city’s boundaries.
As per the new rules, the families must live in their new homes for at least five years and one member of the household must be at work or plan to open a new business. Those who move out before five years have passed will have to return the cash.
This is not the first time Japan has taken an initiative to reverse population decline. Three years ago, japan launched a similar scheme but the incentive has been increased this time. From 3 lakh yen to 1 million yen, the Japanese government has shown seriousness towards the shrinking population issue in the country. However, the scheme struggled to capture the public imagination since it was launched three years ago, with support provided to 1,184 families in 2021 – the year teleworking became more common – compared with 71 in 2019 and 290 in 2020.
However, this time the Japanese government is hoping 10,000 people will have moved from Tokyo to rural areas by 2027.
To attract new residents, Japan’s hollowed-out towns and villages have highlighted the charms of rural life, easy access to undersubscribed childcare, and the availability of eligible men.
Japan's population suffered a record fall of 644,000 in 2020-21. In 2022, only 599,636 Japanese born in January-September. The number of centenarians stands at more than 90,500 – compared with only 153 in 1963.
Many younger Japanese have balked at marrying or having families, discouraged by bleak job prospects, onerous commutes, and corporate cultures incompatible with having both parents work.
The number of births has been falling since 1973 when it peaked at about 2.1 million. It’s projected to fall to 740,000 in 2040.