The Tokyo government plans to introduce a four-day workweek for its employees in an attempt to support young families and boost record-low fertility rates nationwide. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike announced that starting in April, employees of the metropolitan government will have the option to take three days off each week. “We will review work styles … with flexibility, ensuring no one has to give up their career due to life events such as childbirth or child care,” she said in a policy speech at the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly’s fourth regular session. The new policy is designed to encourage Japanese couples to have children at a time when the country’s fertility rate is at a record low. Last year, it dipped to a mere 1.2 children expected per woman during her lifetime, even with the government’s increased efforts to motivate young people to start families, according to the Ministry of Health,…
