Tokyo proposes four-day workweek to boost birth rate

In a move to combat Japan’s declining birth rate, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has proposed a four-day workweek for civil servants employed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The initiative, set to begin in April 2025 if approved, aims to promote work-life balance and encourage parenthood, aligning with a national push to address what Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has described as a “quiet emergency”.

Koike announced the plan during a policy speech to the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, emphasising the need for societal reform to empower women and create a more inclusive workforce.

“Lagging behind in women’s empowerment is Japan’s longstanding issue and overcoming the status quo and making society more diverse and prosperous is key for our bright future,” she said. “We will start with thorough support for work-life balance by introducing a more flexible working hour system, such as three holidays per week.”

Under the proposal, government employees, excluding shift employees, could opt for a truncated work week while maintaining the current requirement of 155 monthly working hours. Employees raising young children would also benefit from shorter workdays, reduced by up to two hours, to accommodate caregiving responsibilities, according to Sachi Ikegami, a Tokyo Metropolitan Government official overseeing personnel affairs.

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Japan’s low birth rate, which has persisted for 15 years, is seen as a critical issue. Societal expectations that working mothers bear disproportionate responsibilities for childcare, domestic tasks, and eldercare were identified as key barriers to increasing birth rates. The country also faces growing labour shortages due to its ageing population and restrictive immigration policies, making demographic concerns particularly acute.

While rate in Japan, four-day workweeks are gradually being adopted by local governments aiming to support working parents. The initiative reflects a broader effort to modernise workplace practices and counter the economic impacts of a shrinking population, reported The Straits Times.