To address its growing demographic crisis, the city of Tokyo will implement a bold new policy — starting April, Tokyo Metropolitan Government employees will work just four days a week. This move is part of a broader strategy aimed at improving work-life balance while confronting Japan’s plummeting birth rate and rapidly aging population.
Alongside the four-day workweek, Tokyo will introduce a “partial child care leave” system. This initiative will allow parents to reduce their workday by two hours, giving them more time to care for their children without sacrificing their professional careers. Yuriko Koike, the Governor of Tokyo, emphasized that this policy aims to “ensure that women do not have to sacrifice their careers due to life events such as childbirth or child-rearing.”
Japan’s Population Crisis: Birth Rate Hits Record Lows
Japan is grappling with an increasingly dire demographic situation. In 2024, the country’s birth rate hit a historic low, with a 5.7% decline in the number of births compared to the previous year. From January to June 2024, Japan recorded only 350,074 births, continuing a downward trend that has persisted for years. In Tokyo, the fertility rate is even more concerning, standing at just 0.99 children per woman, far below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman.
The country’s median age is one of the highest in the world, reaching 49.9 years, compared to 38.9 years in the United States. This aging population is one of the primary drivers of Japan’s demographic decline and places considerable strain on the country’s economy and social systems.
| Indicator | 2023 Estimate | 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Births | 727,277 | 770,759 |
| Total Fertility Rate | 1.20 | 1.26 |
| Deaths | 1,575,936 | 1,569,050 |
| Natural Population Change | -848,659 | -798,291 |
| Marriages | 474,717 | 504,930 |
| Divorces | 183,808 | 179,099 |
Government Policies to Encourage Births and Reform Work Culture
To combat this population decline, the Japanese government has implemented various measures over the past few decades. These include generous parental leave policies, subsidies for child care, and financial incentives for families. In 2024, Tokyo even launched a dating app designed to encourage singles to marry and have children.
Despite these efforts, the country’s birth rate continues to fall. This highlights the complexity of the issue, as many policies aimed at supporting families have not been sufficient to reverse the overall trend.
The Role of the Four-Day Workweek in Gender Equality
One key factor behind Japan’s low birth rate is the unequal distribution of household labor. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Japanese women spend five times more time than men on unpaid tasks such as child care and household chores. This imbalance often leads women to have fewer children, as the additional domestic responsibilities become overwhelming.
The introduction of a four-day workweek is seen as a potential solution to this issue. Studies from countries that have already tested this policy suggest that reducing workdays can lead to a more equitable distribution of domestic duties. Men in these trials reported spending 22% more time on child care and 23% more time on housework, indicating that a shorter workweek could foster a better balance of family responsibilities.
Benefits of a Reduced Workweek: Increased Productivity and Well-Being
While still in its experimental phase, the four-day workweek has shown promise in improving both employee productivity and overall well-being. Peter Miscovich, global head of future work at JLL, noted that trials in several countries have led to outcomes such as “reduced stress, less burnout, better sleep, and greater focus during working hours.” These benefits could contribute to a healthier, more engaged workforce, which would, in turn, benefit Japan’s economy.
Despite these positive results, experts like Julia Hobsbawm, founder of Workathon, caution that the four-day workweek is not a one-size-fits-all solution. She stresses that “there is no universal approach to the four-day workweek; each industry and country must adapt its practices to its specific needs.” This underscores the importance of customizing policies to fit different work environments and cultural contexts.
