As the government steps up work to realize the ruling party's election promise of building more nurseries and making them free, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe asked companies on Friday to shoulder part of the funds needed to expand child-care support.

"I'd like to ask the industry circle to contribute around ¥300 billion," Abe told a meeting of a government panel on human resources development.

Sadayuki Sakakibara, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, the country's most powerful business lobby, which is also known as Keidanren, told reporters that industry "ought to extend an appropriate level of cooperation," hinting at his acceptance of the ¥300 billion request.