SHIFT IN CULTURAL PREFERENCES
A shift in cultural preferences is taking root throughout the Japanese inhabitants. The Furusato Kaiki Shien Center, a non-profit organisation in Tokyo devoted to supporting people all for relocating to rural areas, witnessed a surge in engagement previously few years.
In 2021, the centre acquired 49,514 consultations by means of emails, telephone calls, seminars and one-on-one periods. This determine notably elevated by 29 per cent in 2022, with people of their 20s to 40s constituting 70 per cent of the consultations.
This rising curiosity displays a altering mindset – a rising need to attain a greater work-life stability, contribute to their native communities and embrace a extra natural way of life. This shift in public opinion holds promise for the Japanese authorities’s relocation insurance policies and should present the additional push for households to take step one out of Tokyo.
For the relocation coverage to unlock its full potential, a extra nuanced method is required. Since financial limitations act as the most important impediment for each relocation and household enlargement, the Japanese authorities ought to present a month-to-month allowance of ¥50,000 per little one on high of the upfront ¥1 million payout.
The ¥50,000 comes from the typical month-to-month prices of elevating a toddler – ¥45,306 per 30 days. Not solely would this month-to-month help cowl the month-to-month bills related to childcare, however would additionally function a catalyst for fogeys to speculate extra of their youngsters’s human capital.
Embedding tax breaks, offering in depth job placement help and selling distant work alternatives can be essential. By assuaging monetary strains and reshaping the company construction of Tokyo, this might create an surroundings conducive to rural growth. As curiosity in relocation out of the capital stays excessive, it’s crucial to recalibrate the coverage to align with the evolving wants of the Japanese inhabitants.
Uno Kakegawa is Research Fellow within the Centre for Japanese Research on the University of British Columbia. This commentary first appeared on East Asia Forum.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/japan-population-policy-move-tokyo-rural-areas-urbanisation-challenges-4116671
