The Japanese government’s plan to offer city-based women up to 600,000 yen (US$4,200) as an incentive to marry rural men was suspended after strong nationwide opposition.
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Official data showed that last year Japan experienced its lowest number of marriages in 90 years, with fewer than 500,000 couples tying the knot.
In June, Japan’s health ministry described the nation’s birth rate as “critical” as it hit a record low for the eighth consecutive year.
Japanese scholar Kenichi Ohmae has described the country as becoming a “low-desire society”.
He noted that Japan’s young people are increasingly reluctant to take risks or incur debts, resulting in a diminished desire for marriage, having children, and even engaging in sexual relationships.