The Japanese government has abandoned a controversial initiative aimed at encouraging women from Tokyo to marry men in rural areas by offering cash incentives and train tickets to matchmaking events, CBS News reports.
The proposal had included payments of up to 600,000 yen (around $4,140) for women who married and relocated outside of Tokyo, which was part of efforts to address significant gender disparities in rural regions, according to local media reports. However, the plan drew widespread ridicule and criticism on social media, as many viewed it as an outdated approach in a country where men dominate political and societal spheres more than in any other major industrialized economy.
Hanako Jimi, the minister of state for regional revitalization, stated that she instructed officials to “review” the initiative and claimed that reports about the payment amounts were “not true.”
Leaked details about the program this week sparked a backlash online, with critics questioning the assumption that educated and independent women would consider moving to rural areas solely for monetary incentives.
Japan’s rural areas are grappling with a depopulation crisis, with some small towns reporting very few children. This situation has been exacerbated by the trend of young women leaving their hometowns for larger cities, particularly Tokyo, in search of better educational and career opportunities.
A study conducted by a private-sector expert panel in April indicated that more than 40 percent of Japanese municipalities are at “risk of disappearing” due to a projected decline in the number of women in their 20s and 30s.
