Japan PM Kishida unveils new child care plan amid election speculation

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has failed to douse election speculation, saying he will dissolve parliament after he has assessed "various circumstances". Mr Kishida has announced a major plan to stem the country's falling birth rate. He has pledged to set aside ¥3.5 trillion over three years for child support. The big-spending policy has fanned speculation that he could call a snap poll as early as this week. Japan recorded a historic low of fewer than 800,000 new births in 2022. Experts have blamed Japan's high cost of living and lack of child care support for the fertility crisis. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service on Telegram: https://cna.asia/telegram Subscribe to our news channel on WhatsApp: https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook:   / channelnewsasia   Instagram:   / channelnewsasia   Twitter:   / channelnewsasia   TikTok:   / channelnewsasia