Japan Announces 4-Day Work Week So People Can "Make Love" To Boost Birth Rate

Amid growing concerns over East Asia's declining birthrates, Tokyo is set to implement a four-day workweek for all government employees starting April 2025

[{"selector":"#anim-9a95055b-c906-401b-978f-798118c97b34","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":150,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dfa87a01-010f-4a61-8ef2-ba5aa57d9faf","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":150,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7eab3487-ae9a-42c5-a534-a7eee23ea6f1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -385.85863%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":150,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced the initiative, aiming to improve fertility rates and provide families with more quality time together

[{"selector":"#anim-85c2b640-1701-4fae-9d3b-ab581cb7a589","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":150,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b7973343-b49b-44d4-bcbf-dd1775704a83","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":150,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-324454b3-fe5c-4871-8752-70ef1cb85c0c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -322.33449%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":150,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Under the plan, over 160,000 government workers will enjoy three days off weekly. The initiative also includes provisions for parents with elementary school children to leave work early

[{"selector":"#anim-94522d48-769e-49b0-911f-53e8ecd4b841","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":150,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3d17ffcb-27d2-4956-b758-e6e13ab29d8e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":150,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ba01f600-1958-4dc1-91fa-30695a548bc2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -337.28912%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":150,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike emphasized the importance of adapting work styles to accommodate life events such as childbirth and childcare

[{"selector":"#anim-ceb84219-c6d8-4c09-88d2-77414f416f1a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":150,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e8d9efe6-76f5-4310-ae68-46a8b4567079","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":150,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6d97b4b8-821e-42f4-8172-8646a9ebef6a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -397.01386%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":150,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Japan's fertility rate reached an all-time low of 1.2 percent in June, with only 727,277 births recorded last year. A fertility rate of 2.1 percent is required to maintain a stable population

[{"selector":"#anim-f2641f84-b203-4eb6-bc1b-1994fbe96807","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":150,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b7085648-5243-45bd-8163-d1e61972eb29","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":150,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-61056fd3-a837-491f-92ba-acedc793ef94","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -348.80744%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":150,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

The initiative reflects a broader East Asian trend as neighboring countries grapple with similar fertility crises. South Korea, for instance, declared its record-low birthrate of 0.72 percent

[{"selector":"#anim-654abf49-b0b8-4ecf-aca9-0ce972b00b7b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":150,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1fa1ef9a-c396-4775-a9b0-a3651d9a54ab","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":150,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-938550ec-1d22-4561-b65a-3f16f7371e94","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -340.01126%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":150,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Meanwhile, China's birthrate has fallen to 1.18 percent, raising concerns over its aging population, and Singapore recently recorded its lowest-ever fertility rate of 0.97 percent

[{"selector":"#anim-a444644d-55c9-40fc-a5ce-97b81888b771","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":150,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7a95f76b-f32c-4e4e-ab5f-9c069b614df0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":150,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2186afb2-1afb-49f6-b11e-30ce9ccd5d7c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -340.01126%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":150,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]