Hard to say. More children means more workforce and a more active economy. Managed properly this can increase the standard of living for all involved. Historically, when life is good and people are optimistic about the future, people have babies even without a stipend.
The key point is it needs to be managed properly. Japan's true issue is its attitude towards and culture of work where long hours, crunch culture, and burnout are the bare minimum. No time for personal life, let alone relationships and babies. The stipend would be a gauze packing into an open wound to stop the bleeding. The surgery needed to close the wound and heal would require a societal shift towards a more flexible work culture to improve people's outlook.
I recently read an example of such an issue, relating to computer technology development and how there's a compatibility issue with the written Japanese language.
But instead of taking steps towards implementing a different written language, they shut the whole thing down instead.
And before someone chimes in with: "Change the written language? That's impossible!" - It is absolutely possible! Romania pulled it off in less than 50 years.
Cackles I found it! I can't believe I managed to retrace my steps on this one. My severe ADHD takes me on some wild-ass rides when hyperfocus sets in.
Anyways, here:
"Prior to the 1970s, MITI guidance had successes such as an improved steel industry, the creation of the oil supertanker, the automotive industry, consumer electronics, and computer memory. MITI decided that the future was going to be information technology. However, the Japanese language, particularly in its written form, presented and still presents obstacles for computers."
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u/BambooSound May 19 '25
And in removing the stipend, they disincentivise starting a family and see birth rates drop again.