PAP should take a leaf out of Norway's book. Norway brought its fertility rate up from 1.22 (2022) up to 1.71 (2025).
Norwegian family policy does not explicitly aim to increase fertility. It aims to ensure safe economic and social conditions that support children’s development and the overall well-being of families enabling both parents to balance work and care obligations.
Key Factors in Norway's Pro-Family Approach:
- Extensive Parental Leave: Parents receive long, well-paid leave, with 15 weeks earmarked for fathers, encouraging shared responsibility and higher take-up rates.
- Affordable Childcare: Subsidized, high-quality Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) is accessible to most children, with a maximum price cap, greatly reducing the costs of childbearing.
- Work-Family Balance: A cultural and legal emphasis on flexible work arrangements, including shorter working hours, helps parents combine careers with family life.
- Financial Support: Cash benefits, such as child benefits for families, provide economic security and reduce the financial risks of having children.
- Gender Equality: High female labour force participation is supported, allowing women to maintain economic independence while having children.
norway’s solution is also applicable to jp and sk. but for jp, i wish to add more drastic measures:
1. nihonjin work culture: even if the gov and zaibatsu change the work environment to have a better work-family balance described above in norway’s example, nihonjin themselves feel ashamed if they work less and spend more time with family. it’s a national mindset issue which has deep roots in a “i’m not slacking off until i die” culture ingrained from childhood to school to job. for example, we expect jp tech companies (unlike zaibatsu’s) like rakuten and indeed to encourage wfh or remote work with flexible working hours from anywhere the tech workers are, including homes, cafes, libraries, satellite offices, etc., but no, they expect employees to show up at their new spanking office towers from 6.9am to 6.9pm 5 days a week. these tech companies, much like sillycon valley companies as they copy some from meta and google, provide modern chef-run kitchens with expansive well designed cafeterias and dining rooms with the most modern amenities in order to encourage employees to hang around longer in the office for interaction and exchange of ideas. employees would actually remain longer past dinnertime as they provide multiple choices of gourmet dinner too, way better than what’s available down the streets. add the nihonjin’s “obligatory” culture of not offending colleagues by staying longer, that work-life balance can pretty much go to hell for all they care. wives and children if any don’t see their hubbies until 9 to 10pm or sleep time. to be considerate to their wives and children, the hubbies sleep in separate rooms (or the living room) in order not to cause disturbance. and they seldom have any meals together as a family, not just dinners. many of these households are on the verge of divorce.
2. schooling. the stupid (personal) work culture could have been addressed, redressed, and toned down starting in grade 1, but no, the education ministry and schools plus their army of teachers and principals would have none of any recommended changes. they are still stuck in a 69-year doctrine and curriculum redrawn up after ww2. family obligation, school obligation, social obligation, work obligation. all drilled like a regiment from あ to ん since grade 1. the ruling party needs to overturn the entire jp education system and introduce fundamental changes, including history and geopolitical truths and awareness. plus others. too much to explain here.
3. housing. the average home for a family is a shoebox apartment of less than 699 sq ft. 2 bedrooms not big enough for a queen size bed in each room. no privacy beyond 1 kid. thus couples will not have 2. living room cum kitchen is not large enough for a good proper family sitdown where they can share or enjoy a wholesome meal. no space for child to play and interact as the glue of the family. very few playgrounds in and around all these shoebox apartments. public parks do not have playgrounds designed and equipped for kids. not only small towns are not family-friendly, big cities are horrendously crowded and space-deficient or challenged. yokohama is way better for family living than tokyo. however most corporate hq jobs are in tokyo. it will require 69 minutes with a train change to commute one-way or almost 2 hrs and 20 minutes round trip. add the stupid 6.9am to 6.9pm work regimen where salaryman must show up in office to say the obligatory おはようございますto boss and colleagues, salaryman will not have time to say goodbye and hello “i’m back” to family. for this problem a uniquely well thought-out jp housing program with ample home-space per couple (at least 969 sq ft with 3 bedrooms) incorporating earthquake resilient designs, thus low-rise, high density yet park- and playground-abundant, year-round amenities including dining, shopping, gyms, indoor playgrounds, lounges, townhalls or community centers that can act as survivor and recovery refuge during natural disasters.