The Tokyo Metropolitan Government said Thursday it plans to make child care services at nurseries free for all second-born children living in the capital starting October 2023, as part of an effort to address the rapidly falling birthrate in Japan.
The measure will be applicable for those between the ages of 0 and 2, with no conditions, such as being within a certain household income bracket, as the local government aims to provide an incentive for families to have more than one child.
The Tokyo government will also provide subsidies for healthy women wishing to freeze their eggs for future pregnancies, on the condition that they participate in a study looking into their age and motives for doing so.