Children on Nursery Waiting Lists in Japan Up for 1st Time in 9 Yrs
Tokyo, Aug. 28 (Jiji Press)--The number of children on nursery waiting lists in Japan as of April 1 rose by 181 from a year earlier to 2,435, up for the first time in nine years due largely to a sharp increase in Tokyo, the Children and Families Agency said Friday. The figure had been declining since peaking in 2017 at 26,081. Children on waiting lists in Tokyo totaled 1,113 as of April ...
Tokyo, August 28 (Jiji Press)--The number of children on nursery waiting lists in Japan as of April 1 climbed by 181 from the previous year to reach 2,435, marking an upward trend for the first time in nine years, according to the Children and Families Agency. The agency attributes this rise to a surge in demand in Tokyo, which saw an increase of 1,113 children on waiting lists as of April 1, a significant jump from 339 the year before.
The agency believes the rise in demand is primarily due to the introduction of free child care for first-born children in Tokyo in 2025, as well as an increase in households with children under 18, partly due to cash handouts. Within Tokyo, Setagaya Ward had the highest number of children on waiting lists, with 166, followed by Adachi Ward with 106 and Kita Ward with 103.
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