Over 60 Pct of Local Govts in Japan Listen to Children’s Voices

Tokyo, Feb. 10 (Jiji Press)–More than 60 pct of Japan’s prefectural and municipal governments listened to opinions of children and young people in fiscal 2024 in an effort to reflect them in policies, a Children and Families Agency survey has shown. All of the country’s 47 prefectures and 1,111 of the municipalities heard what children and young people had to say, using such methods as face-to-face sessions and online chats, according to the survey. Many of them sought children’s opinions in the process of considering policy measures on children and child-rearing, while 341 local governments listened to the voices of children who tend to have limited opportunities to make themselves heard, including those with disabilities and school absentees. In the meantime, some local governments cited as challenges lack of knowledge and experience among staff, shortages of human resources and difficulties securing children who take part in their surveys to collect opinions. In fiscal 2026, which starts in April, the agency plans to work on helping local government heads better understand the significance of listening to children’s opinions as well as sharing good examples. It also intends to prepare venues for information-sharing among children and young people who are members of local government councils on children. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]