Tokyo govt boosts support for marriage seekers in bid to raise birth rate

TOKYO – Japan’s overall birth rate continues to decline, but the number of children born in Tokyo has risen for the first time in 10 years.In addition to its measures to support child-raising, the Tokyo metropolitan government is ramping up its assistance for residents’ efforts to get married and working to provide affordable housing to counter rising living costs.Raising children, housing and marriage – will the “three arrows” the metropolitan government is firing lead to a higher birth rate?A support event for people seeking to get married was hosted by the metropolitan government at a commercial facility in central Tokyo on Aug 8.The year 2026 is Reiwa 8 on the Japanese era calendar, so the date features a row of 8s, a symbol of prosperity in Japan. Many men and women attended the event, which included free profile photo sessions and seminars led by marriage advisers.“I want to make a good impression not only on potential marriage partners but also on people I meet at work, and broaden my connections,” said a 38-year-old office worker from Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, who received some speech coaching.Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike also visited the venue. The metropolitan government’s budget for marriage support initiatives this fiscal year exceeds 700 million yen (S$5.6 million) – more than double the previous fiscal year’s allocation.Initiatives include AI-powered matchmaking and a programme encouraging couples to share photos of their weddings on social media.According to a survey conducted by the metropolitan government this spring, just under 60% of unmarried people aged 18 to 49 expressed a desire to marry. However, it also found that half of those hoping to date are not actively seeking opportunities to meet potential partners in their daily lives.At events held by the metropolitan government last fiscal year, applications flooded in at more than five times the total capacity of 1,500 participants.According to the preliminary figures for the 2025 Vital Statistics, the number of Japanese children born in Japan was 671,236, declining for the 10th consecutive year compared to 2024. In contrast, Tokyo saw an increase of 857 to 85,064.However, the total fertility rate – which indicates the number of children an average woman gives birth to in her lifetime – fell below 1 in 2023 for the first time among Japan’s prefectures and remained at 0.96, the lowest in the nation, in 2024 and 2025.The Tokyo metropolitan government hopes that by supporting people who wish to marry through marriage assistance programmes, it can help them achieve their desires and, as a result, contribute to an increase in the birth rate.“Behind the falling birth rate is a decline in the number of mothers,” Koike said.The Tokyo metropolitan government is also focusing on supporting the raising of children. In addition to providing 5,000 yen per month to children under 18, it has implemented measures such as free childcare for the first child up to age two and subsidies for pain management during childbirth.When soaring real estate prices became a social issue, the metropolitan government also began providing affordable housing for families with children, with rents capped at 70% to 80% of market rates.Cooperation with other prefecturesThe metropolitan government is using its robust financial resources to roll out one initiative after another, but complaints have been pouring in from Kanagawa and other prefectures that are concerned about population outflow to the Tokyo metropolitan area. In response, Tokyo is joining forces with other prefectures for its marriage support programmes.The events it hosts are also open to people who work in Tokyo but live outside the metropolitan area. In Yamanashi, Aichi and Kagawa prefectures, promotional efforts feature a shared logo incorporating mizuhiki traditional decorative cords, and the governors exchange video messages at each other’s events.Tokyo has helped with a matchmaking event, which will be held by Yamanashi Prefecture later in October, by publicising the event on its website to attract participants.“By taking the lead in addressing the decline in the number of mothers and sharing the benefits nationwide, we hope to alleviate criticism of the so-called overconcentration of resources in Tokyo,” a senior metropolitan government official said. THE JAPAN NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK