The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will subsidize the cost of “painless delivery” using epidurals or other anesthetics during childbirth, starting in fiscal 2025. The move, which many feel is long overdue in a society where maternal care often plays second fiddle to tradition, could set a precedent for addressing women’s healthcare needs nationwide.
Epidural childbirth, which uses anesthesia to reduce labor pain, currently costs between ¥100,000 and ¥150,000 — an expense many women cannot afford. Tokyo’s plan aims to cover a significant portion of this cost, with subsidies ranging from tens of thousands of yen to ¥100,000 for residents giving birth within the city. Officials are finalizing the details, with the budget proposal set for submission next month.
Growing Demand for Painless Deliveries
This policy comes amid growing demand for painless deliveries. In 2022, 11.6% of childbirths nationwide used this method, more than double the 5.2% recorded five years earlier. Availability, however, is still patchy, and affordability remains a barrier for most women.
Tokyo’s policy is not just healthcare reform; it’s a direct challenge to entrenched cultural norms that often glorify maternal suffering as a rite of passage. Unlike countries such as France, where epidurals are a standard part of childbirth, Japan continues to frame labor pain as incidental or inevitable. This has left Japanese women with limited options and inadequate institutional support for their reproductive health.
Governor Yuriko Koike’s push for this policy is significant in a country where women’s reproductive rights rarely make it to the political stage. If successful, the initiative could put pressure on other prefectures to follow suit, finally bringing Japan closer to global standards in maternal care.
