TOKYO -- The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has decided to subsidize up to 100,000 yen (about $640) for the cost of painless delivery, which uses anesthesia to help alleviate labor pain, starting in October 2025, Gov. Yuriko Koike has revealed.

The governor's review of the fiscal 2025 budget plan has allocated 1.1 billion yen ($7 million) for this initiative. Amid declining birth rates, the aim is to reduce the financial burden on parents and create a more conducive environment for childbirth. Tokyo will be the first among Japan's 47 prefectures to offer subsidies for painless delivery.

Koike revealed the plan to the media after the governor's review on Jan. 11. She stated, "We will create an environment where women who wish for painless delivery can do so with peace of mind, without having to give up due to costs or risks." Koike had pledged to subsidize painless childbirth costs during her campaign for a third term in the July 2024 gubernatorial election.

According to the metropolitan government, the subsidy will be available to pregnant women residing in Tokyo who undergo painless childbirth at medical institutions within the capital.

In recent years, the number of women opting for painless labor has been increasing. According to the Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the proportion of painless childbirths rose from 5.2% in 2017 to 11.8% in 2022. It is believed that the benefits, such as reduced pain and stress and quicker postpartum recovery, have become widely recognized.

One of the obstacles to choosing childbirth without pain is the cost. According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the national average cost of childbirth in the first half of fiscal 2024 was some 518,000 yen (roughly $3,300), with Tokyo being the highest at about 646,000 yen ($4,100). Choosing painless childbirth incurs an additional cost of around 100,000 to 150,000 yen ($630 to $950) compared to standard vaginal delivery, significantly exceeding the 500,000-yen childbirth allowance provided by the national government. Although the central government has begun considering applying public health insurance to childbirth costs, painless delivery is expected to be excluded.

(Japanese original by Shunsuke Yamashita, Tokyo City News Department)