The Japanese government is offering families with children up to 1 million yen ($7,660) per child to leave the greater Tokyo area and relocate to other regions of the country.
The incentive, which was introduced in 2019, aims to encourage people raising children to move to regions with declining birth rates and ageing populations. To be eligible for the payments, households must have lived in one of Tokyo’s 23 wards for more than half of the past decade, including the past year. Children must be under age 18, or 18 but in the final year of high school, for the family to receive the support payment.
Those opting to take up the government’s offer will be able to do so regardless of their income—but they must commit to living in their new municipality for at least five years. If families receive the payment but move out before the five-year period is up, they will be required to return the cash.
Tokyo is the capital and largest city of Japan, and it is one of the most populous cities in the world. The city has a population of around 13.5 million people, and the greater Tokyo metropolitan area has a population of around 37 million.
Like many large cities, Tokyo faces a number of challenges related to population growth and urbanisation. These include issues such as traffic congestion, housing shortages, and environmental pollution.
To address these issues, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has implemented a number of measures, including building new public housing, improving public transportation systems, and promoting energy efficiency.
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