'Birth Rate of 0.99' Tokyo only supports painless...First of all metropolitan local governments

Japan's Tokyo Metropolitan Government has provided painless delivery costs to pregnant women living in the province since April this year, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported.

Yomiuri said the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is considering supporting women with painless delivery, but conditioning them to be delivered in medical institutions equipped with anesthesiologists and devices in case the health of pregnant women deteriorates.

The cost of support is adjusted from tens of thousands to 100,000 yen for painless delivery in the province.

The painless delivery support system is implemented by the basic local government, Shimonita Machi, Gunma Prefecture, but there are no cases of introduction among metropolitan local governments.

Tokyo had the lowest total fertility rate of 0.99 last year among 47 metropolitan and provincial governments.