Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has proposed a four-day workweek for government employees in the capital as part of a broader effort to address Japan’s declining birth rate and improve work-life balance.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has described Japan’s persistently low birth rate as a “quiet emergency” and has pledged to implement measures such as flexible working hours to encourage parenthood. The heavy societal expectations placed on working mothers, who are often expected to manage household responsibilities, raise children, and care for relatives, are seen as major contributors to the low birthrate.
In a policy speech to the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, Governor Koike outlined her plan to offer civil servants the option to work a shortened week starting in April.
“Japan has long struggled with lagging women’s empowerment, and breaking free from this status quo to create a more diverse and prosperous society is vital for our future,” Koike said. She added that the initiative aims to support work-life balance through measures such as three-day weekends.
Under the proposal, most government employees, excluding shift workers, could take up to three days off each week while maintaining a monthly workload of 155 hours, according to Sachi Ikegami, an official overseeing personnel affairs at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Employees with young children would also benefit from additional flexibility, with the option to shorten their workdays by up to two hours.
While rare in Japan, the concept of a four-day workweek is gradually gaining traction, particularly among local governments seeking to support working parents.
Japan’s birthrate crisis is particularly severe compared to other developed nations. The population has been shrinking for 15 consecutive years, and the country has the world’s second-oldest demographic after Monaco. With strict immigration policies exacerbating labor shortages, the declining birthrate poses a significant challenge.
Governor Koike, who has been leading one of the world’s largest cities since 2016, won her third term in July by promising to enhance social welfare programs. Her administration plans to submit a formal draft of the flexible work schedule to the Tokyo assembly next year.