Yuriko Koike, the Governor of Tokyo, announced that the city will implement free childcare for all children starting September, in a bid to encourage higher birth rates amid Japan’s declining population. This policy aims to alleviate the financial burden on families, extending existing free childcare provisions to cover all children. In line with national initiatives to promote parenting, Koike also expressed support for a potential four-day workweek for city employees. Japan’s birth rate remains critically low at 1.2, far below the 2.1 needed for population maintenance.