Have Baby, Claim Cash Reward
FUKUSHIMA, Japan, May 14, 2006 — -- When Yoshie Kikuchi gave birth to her third child, Saya, she got more than just a bundle of joy: Her local government gave her a certificate of gratitude and gift of 1 million yen -- about $10,000.
That's right -- a cash reward for having more children.
The Japanese already have one of the lowest birthrates in the world, and it is growing worse by the year as young people show less interest in settling down and having children.
Most say it's too expensive and too difficult to raise kids in today's Japan, where homes are too small and working hours too long.
A growing number of well-educated women now have careers and lifestyles they don't want to give up for families -- at least not yet.
"People are marrying later and later in their lives," said Yuko Kawanishi, a professor at Tokyo Gakugei University. "That really lowers the overall … birthrate."
So much so, that by the time today's toddlers reach middle age, it's estimated that Japan's population will have been sliced by 20 percent.
While many in the most congested cities here might appreciate a Japan with far fewer people, Japan's shrinking population is actually a potential catastrophe in the making.
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