News Government to offer up to 1m JPY per child to families moving away from Tokyo

[thomas]

The Japanese government plans to lure families to move away from Tokyo to reduce population concentration in the Japanese capital.. The incentive: one million JPY per child. People who reside in the 23 wards of Tokyo that make up the core metropolitan area and those who commute there from surrounding areas, including Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures, are eligible for relocation support.

Host municipalities must be located outside the metropolitan and surrounding areas, and have the subsidies in place during fiscal 2023. But mountainous areas within Tokyo and its surrounding areas can also be destinations if applicable. About 1,300 municipalities have taken part in the relocation support program during the current fiscal year. Recipients must reside in a participating municipality for at least five years while employed. They will be asked to return the money if they move out short of the required time. The child support will be provided if a child is under 18, or if a child is 18 but in the final year of high school. The fresh incentive reflects the government's intention to encourage families with school-age or preschool children to relocate to regional areas. If an eligible couple with two children under 18 move and start a business in their new area of residence, they would receive up to 5 million yen in financial support.

Families moving out of Tokyo to get up to ¥1 million per child

The increased amount will come on top of the maximum ¥3 million in base financial support already given to relocating families.

www.japantimes.co.jp

Certainly well-intended, but how far does one million JPY per child get you and your family nowadays? Unless you work from home, how likely is it to find jobs and nurseries outside Tokyo? Curious how many families will take their chance.

 

[mdchachi]

It may help people who were thinking to do that anyway to go ahead and make the move.

 

[thomas]

It may help people who were thinking to do that anyway to go ahead and make the move.

I have been trying to convince my wife to move into the sticks all year long, but she is still resisting. We work from home primarily, so it would be feasible for both of us. I'd love to get away from the densely packed Kanto region.

 

[mdchachi]

I have been trying to convince my wife to move into the sticks all year long, but she is still resisting. We work from home primarily, so it would be feasible for both of us. I'd love to get away from the densely packed Kanto region.

Where is her 自家? It might be a tough sell if she's a city girl.

 

[thomas]

Where is her 自家? It might be a tough sell if she's a city girl.

She is from Yokohama. She suggested Chiba due to the lower land prices; however, I'm not convinced.

Talking about property prices, this is interesting:

ウチノカチ 土地価格相場・マンション相場・戸建て住宅相場・家賃相場

土地、マンション、住宅等の不動産の相場、価格推移および賃貸物件の家賃相場を調べたり、無料で即座に計算ができる国内最大級の不動産ウェブサービスです。

utinokati.com

 

[mdchachi]

She is from Yokohama. She suggested Chiba due to the lower land prices; however, I'm not convinced.

Talking about property prices, this is interesting:

ウチノカチ 土地価格相場・マンション相場・戸建て住宅相場・家賃相場

土地、マンション、住宅等の不動産の相場、価格推移および賃貸物件の家賃相場を調べたり、無料で即座に計算ができる国内最大級の不動産ウェブサービスです。

utinokati.com

That's an interesting site. My wife wants to win the lottery, retire and buy a second home in Japan, spending part of the year there.

Chiba is close to Tokyo but still inaka in much of it. May I suggest 九十九里浜. You will feel like you are on vacation every day. (Except perhaps the days a typhooon passes through.)
I have good memories of that area. A friend's friend had a besso there and I had the good fortune to spend some good times in it.

 

[thomas]

I know Kujukuri from cycling, surfers' turf, and quite crowded in summer. If you prefer some wilder and rugged coastline I recommend Katsuura. Lots of besso there. The hills of Bōsō are pretty, too.

What's most convincing though are property prices in Chiba. One of my friends lives in (for Japanese standards) palace-like house in Yachimata, surrounded by rice paddies. He paid less than we did and taxes are lower, too.

 

[Lothor]

She is from Yokohama. She suggested Chiba due to the lower land prices; however, I'm not convinced.

Talking about property prices, this is interesting:

ウチノカチ 土地価格相場・マンション相場・戸建て住宅相場・家賃相場

土地、マンション、住宅等の不動産の相場、価格推移および賃貸物件の家賃相場を調べたり、無料で即座に計算ができる国内最大級の不動産ウェブサービスです。

utinokati.com

That's a really detailed site considering it's in English.

 

[Maciamo]

I have been trying to convince my wife to move into the sticks all year long, but she is still resisting. We work from home primarily, so it would be feasible for both of us. I'd love to get away from the densely packed Kanto region.

Were it for me, I would move to one of these picturesque places:

• Kanazawa (average home price at 162,432 JPY/sq.m, 3x cheaper than Tokyo)
• Takayama (very cheap home price: 64,174 JPY/sq.m, almost 10 times less than Tokyo per m²)
• Somewhere with good views on Mt Fuji, probably more in Yamanashi than Shizuoka as it's cheaper and a bit further away from the Tokai earthquake fault line. (home price in Fujiyoshida = 94,762 JPY/sq.m, less than half of Shizuoka or Hamamatsu)
• Kyoto (more expensive at 290,179 JPY/sq.m, but still half price of Tokyo)

 

[thomas]

Lovely places, all of them. We have just returned from four days in Takayama, and I can tell you winters there are harsh! We haven't seen that much snow in years. And @johnnyG can tell you about winters in Kanazawa.

 

[Maciamo]

Lovely places, all of them. We have just returned from four days in Takayama, and I can tell you winters there are harsh! We haven't seen that much snow in years. And @johnnyG can tell you about winters in Kanazawa.

Then main home base in Takayama and rent a place for winter in Okinawa .

 

[johnnyG]

how likely is it to find ... nurseries outside Tokyo?

Just an impression, but that might be the easy part--not as crowded, so easier to find a space. (maybe even no waiting list?)

 

[thomas]

Here's an interesting comparison between Japan and other nations that have embarked on relocation campaigns. Not always successfully. Critics state that Japan should first focus on creating local incentives (jobs, infrastructure, etc.) before luring people into the country.

The scheme concerns residents from the 23 wards of Tokyo proper, as well as commuter cities in neighbouring Chiba, Saitama and Kanagawa prefectures, seeking to move to one of 1,800 provincial municipalities. The government hopes that around 10,000 people annually will take advantage of the offer. There are conditions, of course. At least one earner in each household must either set up a business in their new locale or take up employment in a small or medium sized enterprise there. And the family must stay for a minimum of five years. Failure to do so may result in having to repay the whole amount.

Japan is paying families 1 million yen to move to the countryside – but it won't make Tokyo any smaller

Successive Japanese administrations have tried – and largely failed – to reduce urban overcrowding for 70 years.

theconversation.com