Photo/Illutration Joo Hyung-hwan, right, vice chairman of South Korea's Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy, visits Itochu Corp.'s main office in Tokyo’s Minato Ward on July 19. (Ken Miyazaki)

South Korea, which like Japan is struggling with an abysmally low fertility rate, went looking overseas for inspiration and found it in trading company Itochu Corp.

A delegation from the government’s Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy in charge of tackling its falling birthrate visited the company’s Tokyo headquarters on July 19 to study its efforts.

Itochu introduced a “morning-focused working system” in 2013, under which employees are banned from working after 8 p.m., in principle.

That and other work style reforms resulted in the fertility rate within the company to increase to 1.97 in the business year ending in March 2022 from 0.6 in the business year ending in March 2013.

In 2020, Japan’s total fertility rate, which refers to the average number of children a woman is expected to give birth to in her lifetime, was 1.33.

Joo Hyung-hwan, vice president of the committee under the direct control of the South Korean president, watched as “onigiri” rice balls, drinks and other items were offered for free to Itochu staff from 6:30 a.m., and visited a childcare center for its employees.

He was also briefed by Fumihiko Kobayashi, Itochu’s vice president and chief administrative officer, about the company’s work style reforms.

Joo noted that Itochu has succeeded in increasing the in-house fertility rate, and that South Korea should consider following suit.

“After work style reforms, we will promote women’s participation,” Kobayashi said. “We want to help female employees continue working longer.”

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