Podcast Episode 98: Japan mulls covering childbirth costs from 2026
Could subsidized births boost baby numbers?
Three Kyodo News reporters -- Ellessa Yamada, Eduardo Martinez and Peter Masheter -- talk about the Japanese government's proposals to fully cover childbirth costs from as soon as 2026. Listen as they discuss why the policy is being suggested, its possible benefits and drawbacks, and how much it costs to have a baby in other major economies.
Article mentioned in the podcast:
Japan set to fully cover childbirth costs possibly from April 2026
Kyodo News presents a bilingual podcast for English learners about the ins and outs of news writing and how to translate tricky Japanese phrases into English. Have fun listening to journalists discuss recent articles as they occasionally go off on unrelated tangents.
More podcast episodes:
Podcast [English World] Episode 97: Separate surname debate in Japan
Podcast [English World] Episode 96: Why are there so few trash bins in Japan?
Podcast [English World] Episode 95: New cycling fines in 2026
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