According to Japanese media reports, prices in Japan have risen ridiculously recently, and a cabbage in a vegetable and fruit store in Tokyo can be sold for 1026 yen (about 47 yuan) including tax!
The reason for the price increase is that the weather is hot and cold, which affects the growth of vegetables, and many ramen shops and pancake shops have to stop selling cabbage.
In the face of generally high prices, some parts of Japan have attracted attention for generous subsidies to residents, but this has also sparked calls for "unfairness".
Recently, the three prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa, and Saitama submitted a petition to the government, asking the government to take measures to eliminate the disparity in child subsidies that are significantly higher in Tokyo than in other regions.
It is reported that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's independent childcare subsidy includes a monthly subsidy of 5,000 yen per child, a free nursery school for the second child aged 0~2 years old, free meals in public schools, and a practical free tuition fee for high school tuition.
After living in Japan for a long time, you will find that Japan implements "local autonomy", and different cities have different benefits in terms of living, childcare, and pension, and the more economically developed areas have, the more money they can use to subsidize residents, so Japanese people like to run to Tokyo.
As the aging population and declining birthrate are increasing, local governments are providing more and more comprehensive subsidies in order to prevent population loss from affecting regional development.
Yokohama City recently announced that it will increase the public cost of health check-ups for pregnant women by 50,000 yen to 132,700 yen, the highest amount in a city by government decree in Japan, which will cover the full cost of prenatal check-ups at public hospitals in the city.
Applicants who have already given birth and who have undergone a medical examination for pregnant women after April 1 this year are expected to start accepting applications in October this year. In addition, Yokohama City will provide an additional production subsidy of up to 90,000 yen per child from this year.
Due to the declining population, Aomori City, which is considered to have a "possibility of disappearing" by 2050, has decided to further improve its childcare policy by extending free medical care for children to high school students and removing income restrictions from October this year.
Tahara City in Aichi Prefecture and Kushiro City in Hokkaido will also implement the same free medical care system for children under 18 years old. Aomori Prefecture will also subsidize 80% of the childcare project expenses for 17 municipalities including Aomori City, which have implemented free school meals from October.
For example, Fukushima Prefecture offers companies a reward of 100,000 yen for 7 days or more, 200,000 yen for more than 1 month, and 300,000 yen for 3 months or more to support male employees taking childcare leave.
Munakata City, Fukuoka Prefecture, has introduced the first "sick child care" system in the prefecture, which is very useful for dual-income families if a child suddenly falls ill and parents are unable to pick up their child immediately due to work or other reasons.
By the end of 2024, the Japanese government plans to investigate and compile a database of childcare support systems in 1,741 municipalities across the country, reminding local residents to receive subsidies and undergo medical checkups.
The new system also makes it easier for outsiders to check the welfare system of each region and choose the area that suits them to relocate, which will help rural revitalization.
What other subsidies and benefits do you know in Japan? Leave a message and share it with us!