Japan Offering Reward for Migrating Out of Tokyo
The Facts
In an attempt to revitalize areas with shrinking demographics and reduce density in Japan’s main city, Japan’s government is offering ¥1M ($7.5K) per child to families who leave Tokyo and move to less populated regions.
The current program, in which the government pays families ¥300K ($2,291 USD) to make the move, has achieved growing success, with annual household relocations jumping from 71 to 290 between 2019 and 2020, and again to 1,184 in 2021.
The Spin
Narrative A
Japan’s population is in crisis as birth rates continue to stay catastrophically low and the population rapidly shrinks. Communities are being hollowed out, and even Tokyo is experiencing a population loss. As fertility issues are nation-specific and no single solution exists, Japan’s government must try whatever it can to increase families and birthrates, or else the consequences will be massive.
Narrative B
Japan’s shrinking population, especially in rural areas, is not as big of a problem as it initially seems. While the current mindset is focused on growth at all costs, there is a positive aspect to downsizing and slowing down the pace of life. As the country has failed in its attempts to reverse fertility issues for decades now, rural areas in Japan are simply learning how to adapt. Scaling down can be correlated to happiness.
