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The Mainichi
2 days ago
- General
- The Mainichi
Some child care facilities in Japan replacing Father's Day, Mother's Day with 'family day'
TOKYO -- Father's Day, which falls on June 15 this year in Japan, is approaching. However, an increasing number of day care centers and kindergartens across the country are establishing "family day" instead of celebrating Father's Day and Mother's Day. This shift seems to be driven by the diversification of family structures, including the rise in single-parent households. "I was really happy that they were considerate of each family's situation," and, "Since we don't have a dad, it was appreciated," are some of the posts from single parents on social media expressing gratitude for the switch to family day. Asahi Hoikuen day care center in Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture, transitioned to family day three years ago. Previously, for Mother's Day in May and for Father's Day in June, children would handcraft items such as keychains and magnets with portraits of their parents and present them as gifts. Now, these activities are combined and held in late May, between Mother's Day and Father's Day. The switch was prompted by the need to revise events and activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The day care center explained, "We have both single-mother and single-father households. We considered the recent diversification of family situations. The children create gifts not only for their parents but also for their grandparents, relatives, and even mom's friends, whoever is important to them." 10% of households with kids are single-parent families According to a survey by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of single-parent households increased from 947,000 in 1993 to 1,399,000 in 2003, a 1.5-fold rise. Since then, the number has stabilized between 1.3 million and 1.4 million, with 1,344,000 single-parent households in 2021. About 10% of child-rearing households are single-parent families. Poppins Nursery School, a nationwide day care chain, also has multiple facilities that have adopted family day. In late May or June, these centers organize activities such as making gifts for loved ones and displaying family photos. Meanwhile, some child care facilities continue to observe Father's Day and Mother's Day. On social media, single parents have shared diverse opinions, such as "For Father's Day, my child drew a portrait of me (mother) and made a letter for me," and, "(Though I am a single parent,) I would prefer they stick to the traditional format without catering to minority family types." There are varied perspectives, and responses from day care centers and kindergartens seem to differ accordingly. Some commercial facilities and libraries that traditionally displayed children's drawings of their parents on Mother's Day and Father's Day are now moving toward displaying "family pictures" collectively. For example, the Omori-Minami Library in Tokyo's Ota Ward has integrated these displays for Mothers' Day and Father's Day into a "family portrait exhibition" starting in 2023. They showcase family drawings created by visiting children from May to June. A library representative said, "The change reflects the fact that there are now many different types of families." (Japanese original by Shuji Ozaki, Digital News Group)
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Japan's Birth Rate Crisis Worsens
Births in Japan fell to a record low last year, according to newly released government data, as the country faces a deepening demographic crisis. Newsweek has contacted the Japanese Foreign Ministry for comment by email. Japan's steadily declining births and overall aging population present serious long-term risks, threatening to sap the world's fifth-largest economy of vitality and strain its social welfare system. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has labeled the trend a "quiet emergency" and made reversing it a central pillar of his agenda. The number of babies born to Japanese citizens in 2024 fell to 686,061, a 5.7 percent drop from the previous year, according to statistics the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare released on Wednesday. It marked the first time since 1899, when record-keeping began, that annual births fell below 700,000. For the 18th consecutive year, deaths outpaced births, resulting in a net population loss of 919,237, the ministry said. Japan's fertility rate also declined, falling to 1.15 expected births per woman-down from 1.2 in 2023. A rate of 2.1 is widely considered the replacement threshold for a stable population without large-scale immigration. Japan is not alone. China and Taiwan face similar demographic declines, while South Korea-which has the distinction of having the world's lowest fertility rate-joined Japan last year as a "super-aged society," meaning people 65 and older make up 20 percent of the population. Kei Nishiuchi, the CEO of SoujouData Inc., a data science consultancy in Tokyo, told the Fuji News Network: "As the number of elderly increases and the working-age population shrinks, we're starting to see an impact on the economy's overall productivity. Even the very assumptions behind how our society redistributes resources-such as who pays taxes and who provides eldercare-are being called into question. "This is not a crisis that's still on the horizon-it's one that has already begun. I think we need to recognize that." Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said in a parliamentary speech in October: "The low birth rate and the resulting population decline are a challenge to the very foundations of the country-a quiet emergency, so to speak." Health officials have warned that Japan has only until the 2030s to reverse course. However, measures such as childcare subsidies and fertility treatment coverage have had little effect. Some analysts have suggested that Japan's outlook may be less dire than feared, citing its heavy investment in automation technologies-such as industrial robots-to offset its shrinking workforce. Related Articles Nuclear Arms Race Warning as Warheads IncreaseUS Allies Stage War Games Near ChinaUS Sends Amphibious Warship to Pacific Front LineMap Tracks Chinese Aircraft Carrier Near US Allies 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
The Mainichi
4 days ago
- Health
- The Mainichi
Japan to tighten rules on foreign tourists over unpaid medical bills
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Japanese government is set to tighten measures against unpaid medical bills left by foreign tourists who received treatment during their stay, sources close to the matter said Wednesday. The measure, to be included in a forthcoming annual basic policy on economic and fiscal management to be approved by the Cabinet, is expected to state clearly that the government will "review insurance coverage for foreigners." Under the stricter rules, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is expected to share information on foreign visitors with significant unpaid medical bills with the Immigration Services Agency, allowing for more stringent entry screenings. The government is also considering making private medical insurance mandatory for foreign visitors. According to a survey conducted by the ministry covering about 5,500 medical institutions nationwide, 11,372 foreign visitors received medical care in Japan in September 2024. Of those, 0.8 percent failed to pay, leaving unpaid charges totaling approximately 61.35 million yen ($427,000). Meanwhile, foreigners registered as residents and staying in Japan for more than three months are generally required to enroll in the National Health Insurance program -- a system for the self-employed and unemployed -- if they are not covered by another form of public health insurance. Steps to prevent nonpayment of national insurance premiums by foreign residents are also under consideration for inclusion in the annual policy, according to the sources.
The Mainichi
4 days ago
- Business
- The Mainichi
Japan's real wages in April fall 1.8%, down for 4th straight month
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's real wages in April fell 1.8 percent from a year earlier, marking the fourth consecutive monthly decline, as pay hikes continued to be outpaced by rising prices, government data showed Thursday. Nominal wages, or the average total monthly cash earnings per worker including base and overtime pay, increased 2.3 percent to 302,453 yen ($2,100), up for the 40th straight month, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said. The figure apparently reflected the outcome of spring wage negotiations, in which many major Japanese companies fully met the pay demands of their labor unions. But consumer prices were up 4.1 percent in April on the back of rising food and energy prices, keeping real wages -- a barometer of consumer purchasing power -- in negative territory. Consumer prices used to calculate pay data exclude the imputed rent of owner-occupied housing. The government has been pushing for pay hikes to support consumer spending, a key driver of economic growth, recently setting a goal of achieving real wage growth of around 1 percent across Japan, including through massive public-private investment, by fiscal 2029. The Bank of Japan is also monitoring wage and price developments in determining the pace of interest rate hikes, as it pursues monetary policy normalization. In 2024, inflation-adjusted wages at workplaces with five or more employees posted year-on-year rises in June, July, November and December, but they occurred only when bonuses were paid.
Japan Today
4 days ago
- Health
- Japan Today
Japan to tighten rules on foreign tourists over unpaid medical bills
The Japanese government is set to tighten measures against unpaid medical bills left by foreign tourists who received treatment during their stay, sources close to the matter said Wednesday. The measure, to be included in a forthcoming annual basic policy on economic and fiscal management to be approved by the Cabinet, is expected to state clearly that the government will "review insurance coverage for foreigners." Under the stricter rules, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is expected to share information on foreign visitors with significant unpaid medical bills with the Immigration Services Agency, allowing for more stringent entry screenings. The government is also considering making private medical insurance mandatory for foreign visitors. According to a survey conducted by the ministry covering about 5,500 medical institutions nationwide, 11,372 foreign visitors received medical care in Japan in September 2024. Of those, 0.8 percent failed to pay, leaving unpaid charges totaling approximately 61.35 million yen. Meanwhile, foreigners registered as residents and staying in Japan for more than three months are generally required to enroll in the National Health Insurance program -- a system for the self-employed and unemployed -- if they are not covered by another form of public health insurance. Steps to prevent nonpayment of national insurance premiums by foreign residents are also under consideration for inclusion in the annual policy, according to the sources. © KYODO
