Tokyo’s governor is pushing for a four-day workweek for government employees as part of Japan’s broader initiative to address its declining birth rate.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has referred to Japan’s persistently low birth rate as a “quiet emergency” and is implementing policies such as flexible working hours to encourage parenthood. One key factor behind the country’s baby shortage is the expectation that working mothers must juggle domestic duties, child-rearing, and eldercare.
In response, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike aims to offer civil servants employed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government the option of a shorter workweek, starting in April.
“Japan’s long-standing issue of lagging women’s empowerment must be overcome, and creating a more diverse and prosperous society is essential for our bright future,” Koike said in a recent policy speech. “We will begin with a more flexible working hour system, such as introducing three-day weekends.”
Under the proposed plan, government employees, excluding shift workers, will be allowed to take up to three days off each week but will still be required to complete 155 work hours per month, according to Sachi Ikegami, an official with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Additionally, parents with young children will be given the option to reduce their working hours by up to two hours per day.
While a four-day workweek is uncommon in Japan, it is slowly gaining traction, particularly among local governments seeking to better support parents.
Japan’s low birth rate is an ongoing concern, with the population declining for 15 consecutive years. The country has the second-oldest population in the world, after Monaco, and faces increasing labor shortages, partly due to its strict immigration policies.
Koike, a former minister and TV anchor, has governed Tokyo since 2016 and was re-elected for a third term in July. She has vowed to expand social welfare benefits while tackling challenges like inflation and the declining birth rate. Her administration plans to present a draft proposal for flexible working hours to the Tokyo assembly next year.
AFP
