Tokyo to Implement Four-Day Workweek to Address Low Fertility Rate
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has announced that it will begin offering a four-day workweek to its employees starting in April 2025. This new policy is aimed at supporting working mothers and addressing Japan’s record-low fertility rate of 1.2. The country’s fertility rate of 2.1 or more is needed for a stable population.
The four-day workweek, which will begin with more than 160,000 Tokyo Metropolitan Government employees, will provide them with three-day weekends and more family-friendly options. The initiative is designed to help working parents, particularly women, better balance their careers with child-rearing duties. Additionally, a new system will allow parents with young children to reduce their working hours by up to two hours a day.
This policy marks a new approach in Japan’s efforts to support families, which have previously focused on promoting paternity leave and offering childcare solutions. The success of this policy will depend on whether it can lead to long-term cultural shifts in Japan’s work environment.
