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.
A strong 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture early Monday, causing no reported injuries or damage, and no tsunami warning was issued, officials confirmed.
Japan has pledged over $1 billion in aid to Bangladesh for economic reforms, infrastructure, and education, as interim leader Muhammad Yunus visits Tokyo to deepen bilateral ties.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said that he exchanged views on tariff issues with U.S. President Donald Trump by phone on Thursday.
Foreign investors continue to retreat from Japan's long-term bonds for a fourth week, amid inflation and fiscal uncertainty, while stock markets remain a bright spot.
Japan has lost its decades long status as the global top creditor to Germany. A recent report suggests that a weakening yen, appreciating euro and American tariffs are responsible.
Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine ended abruptly in Istanbul on Monday, lasting just over an hour amid mounting tensions following a major Ukrainian drone strike on Russian strategic bombers and renewed pressure from the U.S. for a breakthrough.
Tajikistan’s external debt has seen a modest reduction, standing at $3.1 billion as of April 1, 2025 — a decline of $87 million, or 2.7%, from the start of the year, according to data released by the Ministry of Finance.
Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR and Canada’s Gran Tierra Energy Inc. have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to conduct joint research focused on the technical and economic assessment of a project to explore, develop, and produce hydrocarbon resources in the Guba-Caspian region.
Kyrgyzstan has announced the creation of an interagency task force aimed at supervising and enhancing laboratory testing for agricultural products, the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry said on Sunday.
Ukrainian and Russian delegations have begun a new round of peace talks in Istanbul, with Kyiv pushing for a ceasefire, prisoner exchange, and humanitarian measures, while Moscow continues to withhold its official terms and demands concessions unlikely to be accepted by Ukraine.
On May 28, the inauguration ceremony of Lachin International Airport was held.
A car drove into crowds of Liverpool fans celebrating the club’s Premier League title in the city centre on Monday evening, injuring dozens including 4 children. A 53-year-old man believed to be the driver was arrested at the scene.
Taxi drivers across France are protesting government plans to cut payments for driving patients to medical appointments. These cuts are part of a broader effort by Prime Minister François Bayrou to save €40 billion in the 2026 budget and reduce the country’s large deficit.
EU ministers have greenlit a massive €150 billion defense investment fund—dubbed the Security Action for Europe (SAFE)—as the bloc ramps up its military readiness in response to Russia’s aggression and growing uncertainty over U.S. security guarantees.
Brazil’s economy is expected to have regained momentum in the first quarter of 2025, driven by a surge in household spending and private investment, according to a Reuters poll of economists conducted from May 21–26.
Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR and Canada’s Gran Tierra Energy Inc. have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to conduct joint research focused on the technical and economic assessment of a project to explore, develop, and produce hydrocarbon resources in the Guba-Caspian region.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has warned that, without immediate and sustained support, thousands of rural households in Ukraine may be unable to plant or harvest on schedule—threatening both national food security and rural livelihoods.
Tesla’s new car registrations in Norway jumped by 213% year-on-year in May, reaching 2,600 vehicles, boosted by strong demand for the revamped Model Y SUV.
Switzerland’s economy outperformed expectations in Q1 2025, driven by a surge in exports to the United States and strong growth in the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors.
Russian stocks and the ruble fell as investors reacted cautiously to upcoming negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul.
Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine ended abruptly in Istanbul on Monday, lasting just over an hour amid mounting tensions following a major Ukrainian drone strike on Russian strategic bombers and renewed pressure from the U.S. for a breakthrough.
Tajikistan’s external debt has seen a modest reduction, standing at $3.1 billion as of April 1, 2025 — a decline of $87 million, or 2.7%, from the start of the year, according to data released by the Ministry of Finance.
Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR and Canada’s Gran Tierra Energy Inc. have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to conduct joint research focused on the technical and economic assessment of a project to explore, develop, and produce hydrocarbon resources in the Guba-Caspian region.
Kyrgyzstan has announced the creation of an interagency task force aimed at supervising and enhancing laboratory testing for agricultural products, the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry said on Sunday.
Ukrainian and Russian delegations have begun a new round of peace talks in Istanbul, with Kyiv pushing for a ceasefire, prisoner exchange, and humanitarian measures, while Moscow continues to withhold its official terms and demands concessions unlikely to be accepted by Ukraine.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment