The Tokyo Metropolitan Government¡¯s epidural subsidy program for childbirth, launched last October, has drawn strong interest from expectant mothers, making Tokyo the first prefecture-level government in Japan to help cover the cost of pain-relief deliveries.
In the six months through March, the metropolitan government received 12,059 applications, well above its projection of about 9,500.
¡°We see this as reflecting strong interest among many people,¡± a metropolitan government official said.
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