THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
August 29, 2024 at 15:08 JST
The Cabinet Office in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Under a program to revitalize regional economies, the government plans to offer up to 600,000 yen ($4,100) to newlywed women who move from Tokyo’s 23 wards to rural areas.
The new system, part of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s “Vision for a Digital Garden City Nation,” would expand the existing “relocation support fund,” which has been in place since fiscal 2019.
The fund currently provides up to 600,000 yen through local governments to single people, regardless of gender, who move to rural areas to work or start a business after living in or commuting to Tokyo’s 23 wards.
The new system would limit eligibility to women and remove the work or business requirement in rural areas.
It would first cover transportation costs for women attending matchmaking events in rural areas.
Additional funds would be provided if they actually relocate from Tokyo.
The maximum amount could exceed 600,000 yen. Details will be finalized by the end of this year.
CRITICISM SURFACES ONLINE
According to the Cabinet Office, more women have moved to Tokyo in recent years.
Excluding Tokyo, Japan had around 11 million unmarried men and 9.1 million single women aged 15 to 49 in 2020.
The new system is designed to address the gender imbalance.
“It will encourage more women to move to rural areas,” a government official said.
Some municipalities have already started similar programs.
Bihoro in Hokkaido, for example, offers a “relocation marriage” program for single women aged 20 to 50 who want to move from urban to rural areas.
It helps them get married and relocate by matching them with single farmers in the town.
However, the central government’s planned new system has already faced a backlash online.
Some people complained that the plan is limited to unmarried women.
Other online posters said the program reflects the government’s low opinion of women and shows that it doesn’t understand why young women are leaving rural areas.
(This article was written by Sawa Okabayashi and Shino Matsuyama.)
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