The government of Japan is offering families ¥1 million ($7,500) per child to move out of Tokyo in a bid to stop an alarming population decline in towns and villages around the country. The offer is more than triple the amount offered in a relocation scheme set up in 2019 and will come into effect in April, according to local media reports. It comes as Japanese lawmakers are desperately trying to find ways of encouraging young people to choose to live in “unfashionable” regions of Japan instead of moving to major metropolises. Families who choose to take up the offer—which would be on top of ¥3 million ($23,000) worth of financial support already available—would have to live in their new homes for at least five years or refund the money to the government. They also have to be employed or plan to open a business. Japan’s population is forecast to fall around 30 percent from its current 125 million total to 88 million by 2065 as the country’s birth rate remains low and the number of residents over 65 increases.
