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Family Policy in Japan

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Late Postwar

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Before 1990s, the Japanese family policy was male “breadwinner models”[1]. It had survived on the full employment for men and mainly focused on stable family structures. After the economic difficulties and fertility declines, the changes of policy become inevitable. It had changed its basic family policy style. The social policy has expanded for care responsibility, child benefits, families with children, and childcare. In recent years, the major concerns from public and parents in Japan are fertility rate and childcare service. Based on these concerns,  they have successive reforms their child benefit system[2]. Child benefit in Japan is not related to child poverty, it is mostly focused on how to increase the fertility rate and economic development instead of concern too much on child poverty and well being. 

Child Benefit Act

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Child Benefit Act was started in 1972[3]. At first, it was “income tested benefit” [4]and targeted to the lower income groups in Japan. Began with 3000 yen at the contribution from local authorities[5].  

Government was reconsidered its aims and based on an ideology of self reliance and a strong family ties during the oil crisis in the middle of 1970s, they started to target on who really needs the benefit with increasing amount reward money[3].

There are two policy goals in Child Benefit Act[6]

  1. provide financial security for children

2. to support well being and developments of children 

Before 1990, the benefits were only covered to 3 years old, and 5000 yen for the 1st and 2nd child. (child allowances of $50 a moth for the 1st child) then the eligibility line has been raised, and so does the benefit was risen. From 2005, only the average earning family can claim this benefit[5]. Families are paid to $2,448.98[7] for give a birth of a child since then. Even more, there are some bonuses offer from Japanese employers to their employees for having babies[8]

Gender Division Labor

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In Japan, caring young and old people has been traditional responsibility of a family. This has cause work-family conflict due to its labor division[9].Raising a child, people need to access to workers’ income and benefits. Japanese Family Policy has changed its policy based on concerning the increasing of working women and low fertility rate since this kind work family conflict. Its policy tries to make working mothers to release the anxiety and stress for the childrearing[10] and encourage for childbearing. They are offering maternity leave, part time job and work at home. 

For the “womenomics” in Japan, the participation rate of labor force has reached its highest point in 2014 than last fifteen years. It is 66.0% according to OECD. “Womenomics is the promotion of economic empowerment for women”[11] . Japan are aim to put more women into the labor force as a strategy to increase the output of Japan’s economic growth and improvement in women’s income too. 

Parental Leave/ Child Care leave Law (1992)[12]

In November 2001, this law was partially revised to prohibit business owners for firing, laying off, downgrading their employees, which who have applied to this child care leave.

  1. ^ Gottfried, H (2002-03-01). "Reregulating breadwinner models in socially conservative welfare systems: comparing Germany and Japan". Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society. 9 (1): 29–59. doi:10.1093/sp/9.1.29. ISSN 1072-4745.
  2. ^ Tokoro, Michihiko. "Family policy under the new government in Japan: the case of new child benefit" (PDF).
  3. ^ a b "Children's Allowances in Japan" (PDF). Social Security Administration.
  4. ^ "Japan OECD" (PDF).
  5. ^ a b The table 1 Graph
  6. ^ "Japan: 2010 Child Allowance Law | Global Legal Monitor". www.loc.gov. Umeda, Sayuri. 2010-04-23. Retrieved 2017-12-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  7. ^ "Information on recent reform of Japanese Social Policies". www.ipss.go.jp. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  8. ^ Rendon, Maria Jose. "Family Policy in the US, Japan, Germany, Italy, and France: Parental Leave, Child Benefits, Family Allowances, Child Care, Marriage, Cohabitation, And Divorce". webcache.googleusercontent.com. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  9. ^ Sumitaka, Harada (1996). The aging society, the family, and social policy. Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo.
  10. ^ "Low Fertility and Family Policy in Japan" (PDF).
  11. ^ Groysberg, Boris; Yamazaki, Mayuka; Sato, Nobuo; Lane, David (2017-02-01). "Womenomics in Japan". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. ^ "2017 Amendment of Child/Family Care Leave Act". The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan. Retrieved 2017-12-08.