Fears of Societal Collapse Prompt New Push for Babies in Japan
- Population fall accelerates as number of births hits new low
- Premier begins to unveil ideas to encourage bigger families
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Alarmed by an even faster than expected slide in the number of babies born in Japan last year, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is preparing a policy package he says is a last chance to keep society functioning.
Ideas like compulsory paternity leave, canceling student debt for people who have a baby, and ¥10 million ($76,445) payouts for a third child have been thrown around in recent weeks. While some of these are controversial and won’t make it into the final program, Kishida has promised measures “on a different dimension” from previous efforts.