Tokyo’s 4-day workweek: A push for more babies and better work-life balance

Tokyo’s governor is proposing a four-day workweek for government employees in the capital as part of a national effort to encourage more people to have children.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has referred to Japan’s low birth rate as a “quiet emergency” and is pushing for policies like flexible working hours to address the issue.

A key challenge for working parents, especially mothers, is the expectation that they balance work with domestic responsibilities, raising children, and caring for family members, which has contributed to the declining birth rate.

To support work-life balance, Governor Yuriko Koike wants to give civil servants in Tokyo the option of a shorter workweek starting in April. In a policy speech, she emphasised that improving gender equality and creating a more diverse society are crucial for Japan’s future prosperity.

Flexible hours and shorter workweek

The plan allows government staff, except for shift workers, to take up to three days off a week while still needing to meet a monthly requirement of 155 working hours. Employees with young children will also be offered more flexible hours, with the option to shorten their workday by up to two hours.

While a four-day workweek is uncommon in Japan, it is gaining traction in some local governments seeking to better support parents with their responsibilities at home. Japan has struggled with a declining population for 15 years, and its ageing population and strict immigration policies are creating labour shortages.

Koike, who has led Tokyo since 2016 and won a third term in July, has pledged to improve social welfare benefits while addressing challenges like inflation and the low birth rate. Her administration plans to submit a proposal for flexible working hours to the Tokyo assembly next year.

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