Society

Japan aims to boost capacity of nurseries by 120,000

Sep 28 (Japan Times) - The Japanese government is considering boosting the capacity of the country's authorized nurseries and other facilities for preschoolers by some 120,000 over the four years from fiscal 2021, it was learned Saturday.

It is seeking to raise the total nursery capacity to some 3.37 million by the end of fiscal 2024. The goal will be included in the government’s new child care policy to be compiled by March next year, informed sources said.

According to the welfare ministry, 12,439 children were on nursery waiting lists as of April 1 this year. The total nursery capacity currently stands at 3,135,000 against 2,842,000 applicants. The capacity is expected to increase to 3,247,000 by the end of fiscal 2020.

However, in reality, the country is seeing children on waiting lists because the number of applicants has been larger than expected in urban areas, including in Tokyo and its neighboring prefectures.

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