News Tokyo offers cash incentives to attract women to rural areas

[thomas]

Japan's government is proposing a new incentive program to revitalize rural areas and address population decline. Under this initiative, newlywed women who relocate from Tokyo's 23 wards to rural regions will be eligible for cash payments of up to 600,000 JPY (USD 4,100). Expanding the existing "relocation support fund" is part of PM Kishida's broader vision for a digital, garden-city nation.

While the current fund offers up to 600,000 JPY to individuals of any gender who move to rural areas for work or business, the proposed changes would specifically target women and eliminate the employment requirement. The new system would initially cover the transportation costs of women participating in matchmaking events in rural areas. If a woman subsequently relocates from Tokyo, she would receive additional funding, potentially exceeding the maximum amount of 600,000 JPY.

According to the Cabinet Office, more women have moved to Tokyo in recent years. Excluding Tokyo, Japan had around 11 million unmarried men and 9.1 million single women aged 15 to 49 in 2020. The new system is designed to address the gender imbalance. "It will encourage more women to move to rural areas," a government official said. Some municipalities have already started similar programs. Bihoro in Hokkaido, for example, offers a "relocation marriage" program for single women aged 20 to 50 who want to move from urban to rural areas.

Japan plans cash incentive for women to marry and leave Tokyo | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

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[salyavin]

I like it but what we need is more attractive jobs in rural areas. I remember an IT company going to rural Shikoku in a NHK World show so it can happen. I like the digital "garden-city" idea. Of course some may offshore and perhaps AI/LLMs may reduce the number of staff needed (maybe) so that may not be perfect but I believe one of the reasons people leave for Tokyo or other large cities is better jobs. The other reason some move is entertainment but fortunately some young people if they have a job would still like to live in a more rural area.

 

[thomas]

Just announced and already shelved!

One of its aims was to help local governments revitalize regional areas through matchmaking events. A perpetual problem is finding ways to entice women from Tokyo to attend the functions. The program was envisioned to cover the transportation costs of single women travelling from Tokyo to attend matchmaking events in the countryside. An additional subsidy was to be given if the women decided to marry. It was limited to women and did not require them to work or start their own businesses if they moved. The program garnered criticism as soon as it was announced. A disparity in wages between men and women and stereotypical gender perceptions were key factors behind the outflow of women from rural areas. But the program did not address such issues, critics said. "The fundamental problem of women being forced into the old wife role in a patriarchal culture is not being addressed," one person complained.

Japan drops plan to entice women to settle in the countryside | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis