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.
An explosion at Chuo Spring Co.'s plant in Toyota, Japan, has resulted in one death and two injuries, officials reported on Thursday.
Japan pledges $7 million to fight hunger and malnutrition in Afghanistan, supporting humanitarian efforts to improve food security and nutrition.
A severe wildfire in northeastern Japan has been burning for seven days, destroying homes and forcing the evacuation of residents.
In response to Japan's sanctions policy, Russia has announced that it is banning nine Japanese nationals, including Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, from entering its territory.
Japan is battling its worst wildfires in more than 30 years as blazing infernos continue to scorch thousands of hectares of land each day.
Italy’s parliament has rejected opposition amendments aimed at restricting the government from acquiring satellite services from companies outside the European Union.
In a significant development, France has stepped forward to offer intelligence assistance to Ukraine after the United States suspended its intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
Türkiye, with NATO's second-largest army, may contribute to a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, with discussions ongoing about regional stability. The potential role follows talks with both Ukraine and Russia.
The Trump administration is planning to revoke temporary legal status for 240,000 Ukrainians who fled the conflict with Russia, potentially leading to fast-track deportation. This move is part of a broader shift in U.S. immigration policy, which also impacts migrants from other countries.
Iraq is set to host an Arab summit on May 17, according to Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, who chaired a meeting in Baghdad to review preparations for the upcoming gathering.
A centuries old tradition of cheese-throwing has brought excitement to the town of Novara di Sicilia as its residents both young and old trooped out en masse to participate in the game.
Norway’s government has affirmed that it will continue to supply fuel for U.S. Navy vessels, dismissing recent calls from a private marine fuel supplier to halt deliveries amid tensions linked to U.S.-Ukrainian relations.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, will chair the 20th EU-Central Asia Ministerial meeting hosted this year by Turkmenistan, in Ashgabat, on 4 March.
Watch AnewZ Live Coverage of the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting at the Oval Office at https://anewz.tv/tv-live
President Donald Trump is preparing a new travel ban that could block entry for people from Afghanistan and Pakistan as early as next week. The move is part of an intensified immigration crackdown.
In a significant escalation of its "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran, the Trump administration is reportedly mulling a plan to stop and inspect Iranian oil tankers at sea.
Walt Disney has announced further job cuts, with an additional 200 employees set to be laid off across its ABC News and entertainment TV networks, according to an internal memo. The majority of these layoffs will impact the New York-based ABC News division.
Türkiye and Greece are setting their sights on achieving a $10 billion bilateral trade volume as part of a newly launched “positive agenda” initiative aimed at bolstering cooperation across healthcare, environment, culture, tourism, economy, and trade.
A cooperation agreement between Türkiye and Azerbaijan in the natural gas sector was published Wednesday in the Turkish Official Gazette, officially putting it into effect.
Iran's parliament ratified a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union, paving the way for stronger economic ties with the regional bloc
Italy’s parliament has rejected opposition amendments aimed at restricting the government from acquiring satellite services from companies outside the European Union.
In a significant development, France has stepped forward to offer intelligence assistance to Ukraine after the United States suspended its intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
Türkiye, with NATO's second-largest army, may contribute to a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, with discussions ongoing about regional stability. The potential role follows talks with both Ukraine and Russia.
The Trump administration is planning to revoke temporary legal status for 240,000 Ukrainians who fled the conflict with Russia, potentially leading to fast-track deportation. This move is part of a broader shift in U.S. immigration policy, which also impacts migrants from other countries.
Iraq is set to host an Arab summit on May 17, according to Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, who chaired a meeting in Baghdad to review preparations for the upcoming gathering.
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