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Tokyo is not only too densely populated, it also has too many young people. At least that’s how the government sees it.

Young people are leaving the countryside en masse to live and work in the 9.6 million metropolis. As Tokyo is bursting at the seams, settlements outside the city are inhabited only by older people. And the pandemic, which enabled working from home, has failed to ease the country’s most populous city.

The government cannot go on like this.

To encourage people to move to more rural areas, which are not necessarily seen as dream homes for young families and professionals, the cosmopolitan city is coming up with a new plan. The government is counting on compensation.

Families leaving Tokyo will receive at least one million yen per child – more than 7,000 Swiss francs. With two children, the claim could even rise to 5 million yen (35,329 Swiss francs) – provided the family meets some critics.

Moving is linked to business operations

At least one family member must be employed by a nearby business, continue their current job by working remotely, or start a new business in the new location. A short move is not worth the effort for the families. They must repay the money if they have not lived in their new place of residence for at least five years.

In this way, it is hoped to rejuvenate the rural settlements – and at the same time relieve the cosmopolitan city.

The incentive – the resettlement bonus – is not entirely new. As early as 2019, the government paid families a surcharge if they moved to the countryside. But the relocation project was unsuccessful. In 2021, only 1,184 families have joined the program.

But now the amount has tripled. The cabinet hopes that around 10,000 families will move from the city to the countryside by 2027.