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[global network reporter li ziyu] according to reports from kyodo news and cbs, japanese government officials said on august 30 that the japanese government has shelved a plan to attract tokyo women to marry rural men and encourage them to move to rural areas by providing funds. the above media said that the plan had already aroused widespread criticism online.

cbs quoted japanese media as saying that as part of efforts to narrow the gender gap in rural areas, japanese officials had previously envisioned providing up to 600,000 yen in funds to women who married and settled outside the tokyo metropolitan area. however, after the plan was exposed by the media this week, it attracted ridicule from critics on social media.

"do they think money can buy women?" "they are trying to 'take advantage' of women," kyodo news quoted netizens as saying. the report also said that online criticisms believed that although the move was intended to promote regional revitalization, it was discriminatory and insensitive.

cbs said that japan's minister of regional revitalization eiko jimi said on august 30 that she had asked relevant officials to "review" the plan and insisted that reports on the amount of funds were "false."

information and pictures of jijian yingzi from japanese media

cbs said that many rural areas in japan are facing population shrinkage, one of the reasons being that more young women than young men are leaving the villages and towns where they grew up and moving to big cities, especially tokyo, in search of better higher education and job opportunities. a study by a private expert group in april this year showed that the expected decline in the number of women aged 20 to 30 will cause more than 40% of japanese cities to face the "risk of disappearing."

xinhua news agency said that according to the population dynamics statistics released by the ministry of health, labor and welfare of japan on june 5 this year, the number of newborns in japan in 2023 was 727,277, a decrease of 43,482 from the previous year; the total fertility rate, that is, the average number of children born to women of childbearing age, was 1.20, a decrease of 0.06 from the previous year. both statistics have decreased for eight consecutive years, setting a record low since statistics were kept.

according to xinhua news agency, japanese media analyzed that japan's unstable economic situation, the difficulty for young people to balance work and childcare, the increase in late marriage and non-marriage and other factors have further aggravated japan's declining birthrate trend. japan's chief cabinet secretary yoshimasa hayashi said at a press conference on june 5 that japan is facing a declining birthrate crisis and it is urgent to take countermeasures. the plenary session of the japanese senate passed a bill on the same day to increase child allowances and childcare leave allowances and improve the level of infant care services.