Japanese families to get 1 million yen per child for leaving Tokyo

The Japanese government has announced to offer 1 million yen per child to families who relocate out of greater Tokyo. The incentive comes in an attempt to reduce population in the mentioned regions. The hike in relocation fee from ¥300,000 – will be introduced in April, Japanese media reports stated. The move is part of an official push to infuse life into declining towns and villages.

Even though a large section of Tokyo’s population fell for the first time last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, policymakers still believe more should be done to lower greater Tokyo's population density by encouraging people to start new lives in “unfashionable” parts of the country that have been majorly hit by migration of younger people to Tokyo, Osaka and other big cities leaving behind ageing and shrinking population.

The monetary benefit will be offered to families living in the 23 “core” wards of Tokyo and other neighbouring commuter-belt prefectures of Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa. In order to receive the payment, families must move outside the greater Tokyo area, the Kyodo news agency reported.

Roughly 80 percent of the total municipalities (about 1,800) have joined the scheme. Officers hope that the generous monetary offer will encourage families with children aged up to 18 to strengthen regions, easing population pressure on greater Tokyo which has a population of about 35 million.

Kyodo reported, half of the cash will come from the central government, while the remaining half will come from local municipalities.

The scheme was launched three years ago. In 2021, support was provided to 1,184 families compared with 71 in 2019 and 290 in 2020, the Nikkei stated. It added that now the government is hoping 10,000 people to move from Tokyo to rural areas by 2027.

Japan's population suffered a record fall of 644,000 in 2020-21, government data showed. The population is now expected to fall 30 percent from its current 125 million to an estimated 88 million in 2065.

Also read: 'Simply unreasonable': China warns of countermeasures as more countries impose fresh curbs on its citizens 

Also read: Xi Jinping's New Year speech: What the photos in the background mean