Overcoming Low Birth Rates: Nagi Town Mayor of Okayama, Japan, Stresses Economic Support at All Life Stages from Birth to University

Special Lecture on Successful Case at North Gyeongsang Provincial Government Office
A Whole Village Raising Children Together

Continuing from last year, North Gyeongsang Province is launching an even stronger "war against low birth rates Season 2" this year, and will introduce successful overseas models that have overcome low birth rates. The province plans to incorporate the successful model of Nagi Town, located in eastern Okayama Prefecture, Japan?widely recognized as a leading region in overcoming low birth rates?into its core policy measures.

On July 24, at the North Gyeongsang Provincial Government office, a seminar titled "Successful Case Study of Overcoming Low Birth Rates in Nagi Town, Japan" was held. The event was attended by Kim Hak-hong, Vice Governor for Administrative Affairs of North Gyeongsang Province; Kim Min-seok, Director of Policy; Choi Byung-jun, Vice Chairman of the Provincial Council; Kwon Sung-yeon, Deputy Superintendent of the Provincial Office of Education; and Kang Seung-tak, President of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Internet Journalists Association, among others.

The mayor of Nagicho, Okayama Prefecture, Japan, who overcame low birth rates, is giving a special lecture at the Gyeongbuk Provincial Government Office.

The seminar proceeded in the order of welcoming remarks from key participants, participation in the four major cultural movements to break the burden of low birth rates, a special lecture, and a discussion session. Notably, the special lecture was delivered by Oku Masachika, the mayor of Nagi Town, drawing significant attention.

Nagi Town is a small municipality with a population of about 5,400. Although it once faced the threat of extinction and attempted mergers with neighboring regions, it achieved a total fertility rate of 2.95 in 2019?more than double the Japanese national average?earning it a reputation as a miracle case in overcoming low birth rates.

In his special lecture, Oku Masachika introduced various low birth rate policies in Nagi Town, where the entire community shares responsibility for childbirth and childcare.

He emphasized the importance of providing economic support throughout all life stages?from childbirth and parenting to middle and high school, and even university?to reduce the burden on families with children. He explained several support measures implemented in Nagi Town, including a childbirth congratulatory grant of 1 million won and a student loan program that exempts residents from repaying their student loans if they settle in the town after university graduation.

He also introduced the "Nagi Child Home," a regional childcare hub facility operating since 2007, as a representative example of the entire village raising children together. This facility allows parents with children of similar ages to comfortably care for or entrust their children together, and provides on-site childcare counselors for consultation and support.

In addition, he explained that the town continuously operates various local programs, such as "Childcare Smile," an emergency childcare service, "Dad Classes," and three-generation exchange meetings involving local seniors.

He stressed that in 2012, the local government made the "Nagi Town Childcare Support Declaration" to instill trust and a sense of security among residents, and that such efforts have been ongoing for a long time. He also introduced a job convenience store for young mothers who wish to earn pocket money while raising children. This system connects residents seeking short-term jobs with requests from public offices, businesses, and individuals, and receives about 140 orders per month, indicating steady demand.

He further explained various housing policies aimed at creating a stable living environment. To address the shortage of rental housing, the town built a total of 81 private rental units, offering them at low costs (220,000 to 500,000 won) and supports the cost of remodeling vacant houses, among other policies currently in place.

North Gyeongsang Province is paying close attention to Nagi Town's low birth rate policies and plans to actively introduce them into the province's ongoing initiatives to address the issue. In particular, starting this year, the province will incorporate Nagi Town's successful model into its flagship project, "Aichun-guk, Childcare-Friendly Dure Village" (abbreviated as A-A Dure Village).

The A-A Dure Village project focuses on restoring the village community around children and creating an environment where all generations live together. It aims to overcome community decline and local extinction through a hub space that provides one-stop package support for care, education, and play.

Kim Hak-hong, Vice Governor for Administrative Affairs of North Gyeongsang Province, stated, "Since last year, North Gyeongsang Province has declared a war against low birth rates and has mobilized all administrative resources to overcome this issue, which is similar to what Nagi Town in Japan has done. We will benchmark successful overseas cases like Nagi Town and implement policies tailored to our region, as well as strongly enforce low birth rate countermeasures desired by cities and counties on the ground."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.