Tokyo introduces four-day workweek for employees amid deepening demographic crisis

Japan's demographic challenges have become increasingly severe, with the fertility rate dropping to a record low.

Amid a worsening demographic crisis, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced the implementation of a four-day workweek for its employees, in a bid to improve work-life balance and raise Japan’s declining birth rate. The measure formed part of a wider initiative aimed at supporting working parents and responding to the challenges posed by the country’s rapidly ageing population.

In addition to the shorter workweek, the Tokyo administration introduced a new “childcare partial leave” policy. Under this scheme, working parents would be allowed to reduce their working hours by two hours per day, enabling greater flexibility in managing childcare responsibilities.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, addressing the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, stated that the initiative aimed to prevent women from having to choose between their professional aspirations and personal responsibilities. “We will continue to review work styles flexibly to ensure that women do not have to sacrifice their careers due to life events such as childbirth or child-rearing,” she said.

Japan's demographic challenges have become increasingly severe, with the fertility rate dropping to a record low. According to official statistics, the country recorded only 350,074 births between January and June 2024, marking a 5.7% decline compared to the same period in 2023. The national fertility rate stood at 1.2 children per woman—well below the replacement level of 2.1 required to maintain a stable population.

Tokyo’s figures were even more stark, with the capital registering a fertility rate of just 0.99 children per woman. As the proportion of elderly citizens continues to rise, Japan faces mounting difficulties in sustaining its labour force and social infrastructure.

Despite repeated efforts over several decades—including extensive parental leave policies, childcare subsidies, and financial incentives for families—the government has struggled to reverse the downward trend. The birth rate has declined continuously over the past eight years, indicating that existing policies have had limited success in stemming the demographic slide.

A key factor contributing to Japan’s low fertility rate is the persistent gender inequality in domestic responsibilities. Data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) indicated that Japanese women perform five times more unpaid household labour than men. This includes not only childcare but also elder care, further compounding the pressures on women to choose between family life and career advancement.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government expressed hope that the four-day workweek would lead to a more balanced distribution of unpaid domestic labour between men and women. International studies have shown that reduced working hours can encourage men to take on a greater share of household responsibilities. One such trial reported that men spent 22% more time on childcare and 23% more time on housework when operating under a four-day workweek schedule.

By addressing imbalances at home, the policy seeks to alleviate the burden on women, enabling them to maintain their professional ambitions while also supporting family life. In turn, this could lead to a more favourable environment for raising children and potentially influence couples’ decisions about family size.

However, experts have cautioned against viewing the four-day workweek as a universal remedy. Julia Hobsbawm, founder of the workplace consultancy Workathon, said: “I firmly believe that there is no one-size-fits-all.” She emphasised that the effectiveness of such policies depends heavily on the specific demands of different sectors and the broader cultural context.