The government recently made the decision to abandon a program that intended to give monetary rewards to single women who moved to rural areas after getting married, amid significant backlash. State Minister Hanako Jimi shared the news of the discontinuation of the plan, which was designed to encourage newlywed women to relocate from urban centers like Tokyo to the countryside by offering them up to 600,000 yen.
The program, which was part of the Cabinet Office’s budget proposal for fiscal 2025, was initially conceived to support local governments in rural areas to boost their communities through matchmaking activities. In an effort to attract women from Tokyo to participate in these events held in rural locations, the program was structured to cover the costs of transportation and even offered an additional subsidy for those who decided to marry.
Despite the government's intentions to promote marriage and regional revitalization, the scheme was met with criticism for overlooking fundamental issues of gender inequality and traditional gender roles. Critics expressed concerns that the program failed to address the deep-rooted problem of women feeling pressured into conforming to traditional roles within a patriarchal society, and instead merely offered financial incentives for relocation without tackling the underlying societal challenges. State Minister Jimi acknowledged the negative feedback and pledged to reassess the situation to better understand the perspectives of those affected.
Alongside the now-scrapped program, the government's budget request for the upcoming fiscal year includes initiatives to encourage marriage among the younger population by promoting the use of matchmaking apps and raising awareness about marriage support services provided by local authorities. These efforts come in response to the growing trend of couples meeting through digital platforms, signaling a shift in how relationships are formed in contemporary society.