Young women in Japan are not returning to rural areas

Young women from rural areas in Japan are increasingly deciding not to return to their hometowns after moving to cities, a government report found Friday.

In its 2025 white paper on gender equality, approved at a Cabinet meeting the same day, the government stressed the need to eliminate the "fixed sense of gender roles" in rural communities and create environments in which women can play active roles.

The white paper featured a survey conducted by the Cabinet Office last December, covering 10,000 men and women age 18 to 39.