Tokyo is adopting a 4-day workweek in a bid to help boost the nation's record-low fertility rates.
In Japan, the most recent data shows the corresponding figure for the average number of babies a woman is expected to have during her reproductive life came in at 1.20 in 2023.
Starting in April, the Tokyo Metropolitan government, one of the country’s largest employers, will allow its employees to work four days a week. Additionally, a new "childcare partial leave" policy will let some employees reduce their workday by two hours. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike stated that the aim is to help parents balance childcare and work.
"We will continue to review work styles flexibly to ensure that women do not have to sacrifice their careers due to life events such as childbirth or child-rearing," Koike said in a speech during the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly's regular session, the Japan Times reported.
Currently, Tokyo Metropolitan government employees use a flextime system to adjust their working hours, allowing them to take one extra day off every four weeks. This system will be revised to offer one extra day off per week, enabling employees to work four days a week and have the remaining three days off.
Koike also said they will continue to advance initiatives to address shortages in nursery school vacancies and support egg freezing.
Japan's births fell to record low in 2024
The number of babies born in Japan fell to a record low of 720,988 in 2024 for a ninth consecutive year of decline, said the health ministry, underscoring the rapid ageing and dwindling of the population.
Births were down 5% on the year, despite a range of steps unveiled in 2023 by former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to boost childbearing, while a record number of 1.62 million deaths meant that more than two people died for every new baby born.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba noted the rise in the number of marriages.
"We need to be aware the trend of falling births has not been arrested. But the number of marriages posted an increase. Given close ties between the number of marriages and the number of births, we should focus on this aspect as well," he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has nominated the acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Yevhenii Khmara, to serve as acting defence ...
The half-time interval during the 2026 FIFA World Cup final is expected to be extended to around 30 minutes to accommodate the tournament’s first-ev...
The U.S. military said it completed a sixth consecutive night of strikes on Iran late on Thursday, targeting military sites including air defences, lo...
Typhoon Bavi pummelled Japan's southern Sakishima island chain with heavy rain and violent winds on Saturday as it headed towards Taiwan, prompting authorities to warn of the risks of floods and landslides.
North Korea condemned the United States and its allies on Saturday for what it called strengthening military blocs and accelerating arms buildups after a NATO summit this week.
Typhoon Bavi churned southeast of Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, its winds easing overnight to just shy of 200 kph (124 mph), as authorities urged residents to stock up on supplies and brace for what could be the most powerful typhoon since 2024.
The United States, Japan and South Korea have signed an agreement to deepen cooperation on the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs), aiming to accelerate the rollout of next-generation nuclear energy projects in partner countries across the Indo-Pacific.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the reimposition of a U.S. naval blockade on all Iranian ports and warned that power plants and bridges could be targeted next week unless Tehran returns to negotiations.
The U.S. military announced that it has completed a new wave of strikes against Iranian military targets under U.S. President Donald Trump's orders. The operation targeted command centres, air defence systems, missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance sites across multiple locations.
The death toll from the fire at a live music pub in Bangkok has climbed to 32 after two more victims died from their injuries, according to Thailand's Police Hospital.
Ukraine and Russia exchanged fresh attacks on Tuesday, with Kyiv targeting shipping and energy infrastructure inside Russia while Moscow launched another large-scale missile and drone assault on Ukrainian cities.
India's investigation into last year's Air India crash that killed 260 people has entered its final stages, with investigators completing a transcript of the cockpit voice recorder and carrying out a psychological autopsy as they work towards a final report.
AI-powered shopping assistant Phia has been accused of using "cookie stuffing" to claim affiliate commissions for purchases it did not generate, according to a Bloomberg investigation. The company says the issue has now been resolved.
The UK government has nationalised British Steel, taking full ownership of the country's only primary steelmaker from its Chinese owners to safeguard the future of the UK's steel industry.
Saudi Arabia is moving crude through the Red Sea port of Yanbu at close to maximum capacity this week, as tensions with Yemen's Houthis add to broader concerns over Gulf shipping routes, according to data and industry sources cited by Reuters.
A senior U.S. commerce official told lawmakers on Tuesday that only a small number of Nvidia's H200 artificial intelligence chips have been shipped to China so far, as scrutiny grows over Washington's export controls on advanced technology.
Oil prices rose nearly 3% on Tuesday to their highest level in four weeks as the United States and Iran stepped up attacks around the Strait of Hormuz, adding fresh uncertainty to global energy supplies.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment