Japanese champion runner Tomomi Bitoh froze her eggs after a 106-mile race, hoping to keep alive her dream of becoming a mother. She is one of a growing number of Japanese women joining in a trend authorities in the world's most advanced aging society hope will stem further declines in the birthrate. - REUTERS
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00:00 Tomomi Bito is a 33-year-old Japanese champion ultra-marathon runner.
00:07 She wants to be a mother one day, but not before she becomes the best runner in one of the world's toughest marathons.
00:14 Last November, she went to a Tokyo clinic to begin freezing her eggs after a race,
00:20 hoping to keep alive her dream of becoming a mother.
00:23 "I have this big dream of becoming number one in the world, and I want to achieve that first.
00:31 I don't think that's something I can do 10 or 20 years from now, after having a child.
00:36 It's now or never, so I chose to freeze my eggs to stay focused."
00:43 The runner is one of a growing number of Japanese women.
00:47 Joining in a trend authorities hope will stem further declines in birth rate.
00:52 Data from the health ministry on Wednesday shows the average number of children born to a Japanese woman
00:58 fell to a fresh low of 1.20 in 2023.
01:02 The figure marks an eighth successive year of decline.
01:06 It is far below the 2.07 experts consider necessary to maintain a stable population.
01:13 The country is also the world's most advanced aging society.
01:17 Japan says its demographic woes are a quiet national emergency
01:22 that stifles growth and puts a heavy strain on its social security system.
01:28 Last year, authorities in the capital started offering subsidies of up to $1,900 to women
01:36 aged between 18 and 39 to have their eggs frozen for future pregnancies.
01:42 But so far, the signs are not encouraging.
01:45 As many as 55% of single men and women in their late teens and 20s have no desire to ever have a child,
01:53 an annual poll by Roto Pharmaceutical showed in December.
01:58 Yuka Okada is a gynecologist at the Grace Yukiyama Clinic.
02:02 "With regard to tackling the declining birth rate issue, if possible,
02:09 I believe more married couples need to consider having two or three kids.
02:13 With that said, I think it's best that married couples start planning for pregnancy and childbirth at a younger age,
02:19 with egg freezing at a younger age as an option."
02:25 Beto called for more public support for families who are bringing up children,
02:29 as well as a shift away from traditional views that burden women with domestic work.