Government sources were cited in Japanese newspapers at the end of September, saying that the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare planned to announce a numerical target for the total fertility rate later this year. The ministry aims to raise the figure from the current 1.25 to 1.4 to prevent further declines in the number of births.

The budget for fiscal 2007 is expected to reflect the results of research to achieve the goal, and if this goal is reached the government can expect to balance its books on pension payouts and premiums received. It also hopes that this will restore public confidence in the pension system.

The announcement has caused concern in some circles as it raises the prospect of government interference in that most sensitive of areas, the intimate relationships between men and women.

During his campaign for the presidential election of the Liberal Democratic Party, and hence the Prime Minister of the country, Shinzo Abe made it clear that the government would need to adopt every measure to tackle the declining birthrate.

Abe is viewed by many as very conservative, and what “every measure” could mean is yet to be determined.

See associated article on Shinzo Abe here.