The government wants to do more than just encourage those early days of romance, though. The draft includes plans to improve access to free nursery care, and for counselling centres to be set up across the country for people undergoing fertility treatment. There's also a target to boost the number of fathers taking paternity leave immediately after their baby is born to 80% by the year 2020. Japan's birth rate fell to a record low in 2014 , with 9,000 fewer babies being born than in the previous year - the fourth consecutive fall. A number of possible reasons have been suggested for the decline, including the rising cost of having children, more women in the workforce, and a growing number of singletons.