Tokyo to offer free childcare for 2nd child

Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike holds up the character "ko," meaning child or children, at the Tokyo metropolitan government building on Jan. 4. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

The Tokyo metropolitan government has decided it will provide free childcare for a second child aged between 0 and 2 for all Tokyo households from fiscal 2023, it has been learned.

The central government has also subsidized childcare fees for a second child as part of its child-rearing support. However, its scheme restricts support based on age and income, among other limitations.