Date : September 22, 2023
10 Years After Passing the Childhood Poverty Act—Changes to Inequality for Children in Japan and the Functions of Children’s Cafeterias as New Social Infrastructure (Mr. Makoto YUASA, Project Professor, University of Tokyo/President and CEO, Certified NPO Nationwide Children’s Cafeteria Support Center, Musubie)
post date : 2023.09.08
According to the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in July this year, the relative poverty rate for children was 11.5% in 2021. As the child poverty rate around the year 2000 was approximately 14%, very little improvement has been made in the past 20 years. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic and the sudden increase in the price of goods has led to even harsher economic conditions, particularly for single-parent households and other low-income households that were already facing difficulties.
With the birthrate continuing to decline in Japan, child poverty will have a major impact on the future of the country. Economic inequality in childhood leads to educational inequality and future income inequality, and escaping poverty is no easy task. What initiatives could help solve the issue of poverty within Japan?
Mr. Makoto Yuasa is a project professor at the University of Tokyo's Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology and president and CEO of the Certified Nonprofit Corporation Nationwide Children’s Cafeteria Support Center Musubie, and he has experience in approaching the issue of inequality from academic, government, and civilian positions. Ten years since the passage of the Act on the Promotion of Policy on Child Poverty, the FPCJ has invited him to speak on how the economic situation and other elements related to child poverty have changed, and about children’s cafeterias, which Mr. Yuasa calls “new social infrastructure” and continue to be established throughout Japan, with more than 7,300 nationwide as of last year.
■Please note that you cannot physically attend this briefing, as it will be a Zoom webinar.
■Date: Sep. 22 (Fri), 2023, 10:30-12:00 (Deadline for application: Noon, Thursday, Sep 21)
■Theme: 10 Years After Passing the Childhood Poverty Act—Changes to Inequality for Children in Japan and the Functions of Children’s Cafeterias as New Social Infrastructure
■Briefer: Prof. Mr. Makoto YUASA, Project Professor, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo/President and CEO, Certified Nonprofit Corporation Nationwide Children’s Cafeteria Support Center, Musubie
■Language: Japanese, with consecutive English interpretation
As in our standard press briefings, there will be a Q&A session at the end.
*In principle, questions will only be accepted from members of the foreign press.
■Members of the Foreign Press:
Please send any questions for the briefer or topics you are interested in to cp@fpcjpn.or.jp by 16:00 on Wednesday, Sep 20.
As there will only be a limited amount of time to ask questions during the briefing, we will collect questions and provide them to the briefer in advance.
Embassy representatives and FPCJ supporting members may also watch the briefing as observers (admission free).
■How to Apply: Please refer to the email we sent.*We will not be accepting applications by email.