(The original article in Japanese was posted on April 7, 2023)

On April 1, the "Children and Families Agency" was launched as the command center to carry out children-related policies. The new agency will take a leading role in coordinating issues related to childcare support, child abuse, bullying, and child poverty in a comprehensive manner while breaking away from traditional segmented administrative structures. Definitely, the establishment of the new administrative agency is aligned with Prime Minister Kishida’s priority “measures of unprecedented levels to tackle the declining birthrate.” An initial “draft plan” was released on March 31 with policies focusing on an increase of lump-sum childbirth benefit, elimination of income limits for people eligible for childcare allowances, and ease of requirements for scholarships without the obligation of repayment. Although the feasibility of the draft plan remains unclear due to the lack of financial basis and the ambiguity of the scope of authority of the "Children and Families Agency.” Despite all of that, it certainly is a step forward to promote a basic child support system. 

It was in the early 1970s that the birthrate fell below the replacement level in France, the country referred to as a successful case to respond to a declining birthrate. And it was about the same time that Japan’s birthrate also began to decline. However, there is a clear difference in policymaking approaches of the two countries. France has taken preemptive action against the predicted population decrease. For example, the family coefficient rules (tax burden is reduced proportionally according to the number of children) which now come up for discussion as a contemporary issue in Japan, was first introduced in France back in 1946. Likewise, childcare leave for up to two years became legally allowed in 1977 in France. In that way, French childcare policies have continuously evolved over the decades by expanding childcare facilities and strengthening support for babies and infants. Furthermore, it was in 1999 that the Civil Solidarity Pact (PACS) was enacted. PACS allows people in same-sex marriages and common-law marriages to receive some legal rights such as tax exemption and social security benefits. As a result, the fertility rate, once declined to 1.66 in 1993, recovered to the levels of 1.98 in 2007 and 2.03 in 2010 respectively. Although it turned again to a decline after 2014, high levels remained constantly as 1.82 in 2020 and 1.83 in 2021 correspondingly.

The high rate of extramarital children is often marked when the birthrate of France is being discussed. However, we should think what it means to eliminate the term "illegitimate child" from provisions of the French Civil Code. The Ministry of Family, Children, and Women's Rights has long been in charge of those policies to combat the declining birthrate in France. The duties are now taken over by the Minister for Gender Equality, Diversity, and Equal Opportunities, and also by the Vice Minister for Children, as organs under the Prime Minister's Office. In fact, it is important to note that the declining birthrate is not recognized as an exclusive problem relevant to a "family," but as a problem to be solved in the context of the changes of the entire society, and that this recognition has been passed down as the national policy which works beyond a regime change.

I have no objection to individual financial support for the child-rearing generation. That aside, we should not neglect to think over the structural factor that lies behind the needs of those supports. That is, the current reality of stagnant wages in Japan. In other words, a shrinking middle class and entrenched social disparities. First of all, the most effective driving force to eliminate the declining birthrate is to design a social environment that will lead people to feel promising future with hopes for their children and for themselves as well. In order to activate the driving force, creation of a comprehensive and long-term vision of “Japanese society” that includes the economy is indispensable. To this end, industrial structures, work styles, functions of local regions and the concept of families, all need to be updated accordingly.

This Week’s Focus, April 7

Takashi Mizukoshi, the President