cnn.com (27.03.2023) Japanese authorities have widely promoted the term in the past decade to combat the country’s notoriously long working hours that have not only deprived workaholic fathers of family time and stay-home mothers of careers, but have helped drive the birth rate to one of the lowest in the world. To seize the “last chance to reverse” the situation, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida last week unveiled a raft of policies, including boosts to child support and a pledge to lift the number of male workers taking paternity leave from the current 14% to 50% by 2025, and 85% by 2030.

The Japan Times (09.01.2023) Low fertility rates — in the absence of increased immigration — will reduce the working-age population, in turn lowering household consumption and economic growth

pensionpolicyinternational.com (19.09.2022) The share of Japan’s older adult population, those over age 65, has been increasing every year since 1950 and is expected to reach 35.3% of the total population in 2040. For the first time, Japan’s over 75s account for over 15% of the population, after their cohort rose by 720,000 to 19.37 million people, government data released Sunday showed, in further evidence of the country’s rapidly graying society.

Pension Policy International (April 2022) The Japanese government is reportedly discussing plans to expand the coverage of its employee pensions and health insurance programs to all workers in the country. The proposal will be initially handled by a government panel of experts on Japan’s social security system for all generations, The Japan Times reported. In June, Tokyo plans to decide on the direction for the insurance system covering all workers and have it reflected in its honebuto, or basic economic and fiscal policy guidelines.

Those who receive disability pension must submit the disability pension medical certificate to the Japan Pension Service by the deadline, and if it is not submitted by the deadline, the disability pension payment is usually suspended. It will be.

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Japan (08.03.2021) The exceptional treatment of Employment Adjustment Subsidy is extended until 30 April 2021. The subsidy scheme covers part of leave allowances companies pay to furloughed workers. Typically up to two-thirds of the allowances were covered by the program, with the upper limit set at ¥8,370 per day per employee. But under special measures introduced in response to the COVID-19 crisis up to the full amount is covered, with the daily cap set at ¥15,000.

NHK (27.11.2020) The Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare announced that the exceptional treatment of Employment Adjustment Subsidy is extended to February 2021. The exceptional treatments include the increase of maximum amount of daily allowance to 15,000 yen per an employee. The Minister also implied that the treatment would be gradually reduced after March 2021. 

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (28.10.2020) Employers, who introduced a paid-leave programme for female pregnant employees who are recommended by a doctor to take leaves due to stress caused by Covid-19, can apply a subsidy. Eligible employers are who informed employees of the programme and allowed a employee more than five days paid-leave inclusive between 7 May 2020 and 31 January 2021.