What's happened
Starting April 2025, Tokyo will introduce a four-day workweek for its 160,000 metropolitan government employees. This initiative aims to improve work-life balance, particularly for working mothers, amid Japan's ongoing demographic crisis and labor shortages. Governor Yuriko Koike emphasizes the need for flexible work arrangements to support families.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to The Japan Times, Governor Yuriko Koike stated, "Japan is facing the crisis of a declining number of children, which isn't going away," highlighting the urgency of the situation. Business Insider UK notes that the four-day workweek aims to ensure that women do not have to sacrifice their careers due to life events like childbirth. The Independent emphasizes the need for flexible working hours, stating, "Lagging behind in women’s empowerment is Japan’s longstanding issue." The South China Morning Post adds that Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has referred to the low birth rate as a "quiet emergency," indicating the government's recognition of the demographic crisis. These sources collectively illustrate the multifaceted approach being taken to address Japan's demographic challenges through workplace reforms.
How we got here
Japan faces a demographic crisis with a declining birth rate and an aging population. Governor Yuriko Koike has proposed various measures to support families, including expanding free daycare and introducing flexible work hours to encourage parenthood and improve women's empowerment in the workforce.
More on these topics
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Yuriko Koike is a Japanese politician who currently serves as the Governor of Tokyo. She graduated from Cairo University as the top student in 1976 and was a member of the House of Representatives of Japan from 1993 to 2016, and was previously the Ministe
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Japan is an island country of East Asia in the northwest Pacific Ocean. It borders the Sea of Japan to the west and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south.
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Shigeru Ishiba is a Japanese politician. Ishiba is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party and of Heisei-Kenkyukai until 2011.