JAPAN TODAY


 

With financial incentives, free services and benefits on the horizon, Japan has parents with children covered from birth to high school.

If you’re thinking of having children, are pregnant, or already have little and not-so-little ones around the home, check out our overview of the benefits offered to families with children in Japan.

Japan’s population is shrinking, and the population crisis is often talked about in the news and political discourse. The birth rate has been falling for eight years in a row with 2023 registering a record low.

According to a study by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, the country’s population of 126.15 million (2020) will decline by almost 20 million over the next two decades and dip below 100 million in 2056.

Observers say the effects of such a drop will impact all aspects of Japanese society from the economy to social services. And that’s not even mentioning the current cost of giving birth here!

For decades, the Japanese government has been revising and creating childcare policies intended to ease this problem.

• Financial Benefits
• Free Services
• Future Plans

Financial Benefits

The Japanese government offers a variety of subsidies that begin right after giving birth. They then continue until children finish junior high school and, in many cases, high school. Childbirth Lump Sum Allowance (出産育児時金)

Childbirth costs vary by medical institution. According to 2020 data, Tokyo was the most expensive, with an average of ¥605,000, and Kumamoto was the cheapest at ¥361,000.

This doesn’t include additional costs such as private rooms and birth by C-sections. The childbirth lump sum allowance is only applicable if you are enrolled in the National Health Plan and reimburses almost the entire fee.

What do I get?

¥500,000 per childbirth


How do I get it?

Ask for more information at the medical facility where you will give birth. In many cases, the fee will be paid directly by the National Health Insurance without you having to be refunded.



Child Allowance (児童手当て)

The child allowance provides monthly subsidies to parents with children from birth to March 31 after turning 15 years old. Everyone is eligible for the benefit, but parents with an annual income exceeding high-income thresholds may receive a reduced subsidy or even no subsidy.

These payments are given out three times a year (June, October and February) and are intended to aid child rearing through to the end of junior high school.


What do I get?

• Child under three years old: ¥15,000 a month
• Child from three years old until the end of elementary school: ¥10,000 a month; Third-born child: ¥15,000 a month
• Child in junior high school: ¥10,000 a month

How do I get it?

Apply at your local ward office. To ensure that you begin to receive benefits as quickly as possible, it is recommended to visit the ward office within 15 days after the birth of your child.