The 13th is Coming of Age Day. The number of new adults is the second lowest ever, and the trend of declining birthrates continues. In the midst of this, a post by a housewife saying, "I can't raise three children on an annual income of 12 million yen" has become a hot topic. ■Happy celebrations all over the country During this three-day weekend, gatherings of twenty-year-olds are being held all over the country. According to a survey of 20-year-olds, the news they are most interested in is "economy and monetary policy." "Measures to combat declining birthrates," which was at the top of the list last year, is again in the top three this year. What future do 20-year-olds envision? The program headed to Futtsu City, Chiba Prefecture, where the population continues to decline and is at risk of disappearing. This year, 367 people turned 20 years old. A student said, "I hope to find a job that allows me to give back to the community and people who raised me." "I want to get married soon and show my parents my children." There are also concerns about money. Office worker: "I'll have a family and think about money. I'm not making enough money yet." Student: "I think it's impossible to start a family until I've saved up a certain amount." Families celebrating the bright sight of a 20-year-old looking towards the future. Happiness is being seen all over the archipelago. ■Household annual income of 12 million yen, take-home pay of 9.27 million yen Meanwhile, on social media, a post expressing the same heartbreaking feelings about child-rearing has sparked debate. X wrote, "I saw someone write, 'Why did you have three children on 12 million yen?' and 'Didn't you know before you had them?' That's not true. The problem is the system design that makes it impossible to raise three children on 12 million yen!" This post, which said that raising children is difficult even with an annual income of 12 million yen, was met with a mixture of agreeing comments such as, "You're right," and critical comments such as, "You just aren't living up to your standard of living that matches your annual income." When I contacted the poster, I found out she was a woman living in Yokohama City. I asked her why she posted. A woman's response: "I wanted to have three children. After much consideration, I gave up on having a third child. If they say that the declining birthrate is serious, I want them to be more considerate of those of us who are expecting to have children." The woman lives with her husband and two children, one in elementary school and one in kindergarten. The annual household income is about 12 million yen. It seems like they could live comfortably, but when an expert calculated what it would be like with three children, for a household income of 12 million yen, the income tax rate is 20%, and 2.73 million yen is deducted, including 1.425 million yen in social insurance premiums, leaving a take-home pay of 9.27 million yen. Even now, with two children, monthly expenses are 200,000 yen for rent and 70,000 yen for food. In addition to utility bills, there are other costs such as extracurricular lessons and kindergarten, as well as parking fees and life insurance premiums. ■Not eligible for free high school and interest-free/low-interest scholarships The expenses for raising children are on top of the take-home pay that has been greatly reduced due to progressive taxation. The woman who posted this says that this is not the only burden she faces. The woman's response: "I work hard to earn money and fulfill my tax obligations, so why do I have to go through so much trouble when it comes to raising children?" The woman is complaining about the income restrictions in the child-rearing support system. She has not been covered by child allowances or the reduced medical expenses for children subsidized by Yokohama City, where she lives. In addition, education costs will be an added burden in the future. If one child goes on to a private university, tuition alone will be at least 1 million yen a year. She says that under the current circumstances, her family will not be eligible for free high school tuition or interest-free or low-interest scholarship systems that would alleviate this burden. Nanako Tsukagoshi, CEO of KANATTA Co., Ltd.: "(With an annual income of 12 million yen), you can't do anything, so I don't think it's a good idea to differentiate between child-rearing support. Having a child isn't something you do for profit or loss, but I think it's better to have a system that makes people feel like they can manage even if they do have a child, so it's not good for people to refrain from having children, especially with a (support) system." (From "Good! Morning" broadcast on January 13, 2025) [TV Asahi News] https://news.tv-asahi.co.jp