Tokyo Introduces Four-Day Workweek for Government Employees to Address Fertility Crisis

The policy aims to improve work-life balance and encourage child-rearing as Japan faces a record-low fertility rate and an aging population.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will implement a four-day workweek for its 160,000 employees starting in April 2025, offering a three-day weekend to improve work-life balance.
Parents with children in grades one to three can opt for reduced working hours by sacrificing part of their salary, allowing them to leave work up to two hours early each day.
Japan's fertility rate has dropped to a record low of 1.2, far below the replacement rate of 2.1, with only 758,631 births recorded last year, marking the eighth consecutive year of decline.
Governor Yuriko Koike stated that the initiative seeks to empower women and ensure they do not have to choose between their careers and family responsibilities.
The policy is part of broader national efforts to combat Japan's demographic crisis, which include childcare subsidies, fertility treatments, and promoting paternity leave.