"Now Is The Time": Japanese Woman Welcomes 7th Child To Help Boost Birth Rates, Goes Viral

Kotoe Hashimoto, a Japanese author and former political candidate, has captured social media attention after announcing the birth of her seventh child, tying it directly to the nation's ongoing demographic challenges. Sharing a cute photo of the newborn, she urged other women in the country to consider starting or expanding their families. Shared in August, her post quickly went viral across digital platforms. Hashimoto expressed a strong belief that with the nation struggling through a sharp drop in births, now is a critical moment for Japanese women to step forward and have children.

"I have given birth to my seventh child! Thank you all for your support and encouragement! I express my deepest gratitude to the doctors, midwives, and nurses for their dedicated efforts," Kotoe wrote on X.

Also read | In A Historic First, Elderly Population Outnumbers Young Children Worldwide

"I believe that now is the time for Japanese women to have children. The rise and fall of our nation depends on the active role of women," she said in another post.

She announced on September 2 that she was discharged from the hospital. "Thank you all so much for your warm support. Please watch over this child as they begin their journey as a Japanese citizen, with the birth registration submitted," she added. In a separate post, she said that both mother and baby are healthy.

第七子を産みました！
皆様、応援してくださりありがとうございました！
医師、助産師、看護師の皆様方の御尽力に感謝申し上げます。 pic.twitter.com/DWrJUnvtnu

— 橋本琴絵 (@HashimotoKotoe) August 28, 2026

Kotoe uses her social media account to discuss the issue of record-low annual births in Japan. "If we're going to use public funds for measures against declining birth rates, I think it'd be more effective for getting kids if we applied health insurance to breast augmentation and cosmetic surgery rather than covering the current costs of ovulation day tests (timing method). Wait, is this taboo?" she said in one of the posts.

Also read | Delhi Metro Issues Warning To Influencers Over Dangerous 'Phone Sticking' Reel Trend

Japan births hit record low

The announcement comes at a time when demographic concerns in Japan are reaching unprecedented levels. As per the government data published earlier this year, just over 671,000 babies were born in 2025, nearly 15,000 fewer than the previous year. The data marked the tenth consecutive year of decline. The figure was also the smallest since records began in 1899.

Japan has been struggling with record-low annual births and a rapidly shrinking workforce for several years, with the latest report further highlighting a decline in the total fertility rate, which is the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime. It was 1.14.