Japan will soon start a new initiative to support single women, moving to rural areas to get married in fiscal 2025, to address the shrinking population of young women in the countryside.
As part of the initiative, the state will cover costs for women to travel from Tokyo to rural areas to attend matchmaking events and give them more money if they move to the areas, the sources said.Details, such as the amounts to be paid, will be considered during the budget compilation process, reported the Japan Times.
In recent times, the greater Tokyo area has witnessed a higher influx of women compared to men. According to a government official, women from rural areas who relocate to Tokyo for educational or professional purposes tend to settle permanently in the capital rather than returning to their hometowns or other regions outside Tokyo.
This trend has resulted in a disparity between the number of single women and single men in rural areas. The 2020 national census revealed that across 46 out of Japan’s 47 prefectures, excluding Tokyo, the total population of single women aged 15 to 49 was approximately 9.1 million, which is about 20% lower than the 11.1 million single men in the same age bracket. In some prefectures, the gap was as high as 30%.
The decreasing number of younger women in rural areas poses a significant challenge to preventing depopulation in the future. Recognizing this, the government has concluded that providing focused support to single women who are interested in relocating to the countryside is of utmost importance.
Japan is confronting a severe demographic crisis, with the birth rate reaching a record low last year. Only 727,277 births were recorded, and the fertility rate stood at 1.20, significantly below the 2.1 required to maintain a stable population, as per The Independent.
As part of the initiative, the state will cover costs for women to travel from Tokyo to rural areas to attend matchmaking events and give them more money if they move to the areas, the sources said.Details, such as the amounts to be paid, will be considered during the budget compilation process, reported the Japan Times.
In recent times, the greater Tokyo area has witnessed a higher influx of women compared to men. According to a government official, women from rural areas who relocate to Tokyo for educational or professional purposes tend to settle permanently in the capital rather than returning to their hometowns or other regions outside Tokyo.
This trend has resulted in a disparity between the number of single women and single men in rural areas. The 2020 national census revealed that across 46 out of Japan’s 47 prefectures, excluding Tokyo, the total population of single women aged 15 to 49 was approximately 9.1 million, which is about 20% lower than the 11.1 million single men in the same age bracket. In some prefectures, the gap was as high as 30%.
The decreasing number of younger women in rural areas poses a significant challenge to preventing depopulation in the future. Recognizing this, the government has concluded that providing focused support to single women who are interested in relocating to the countryside is of utmost importance.
Japan is confronting a severe demographic crisis, with the birth rate reaching a record low last year. Only 727,277 births were recorded, and the fertility rate stood at 1.20, significantly below the 2.1 required to maintain a stable population, as per The Independent.
Source : Times of India
