Japan unveils fresh childcare plan but funding unclear

A seven-month-old baby and her mother look at early flowering Kanzakura cherry blossoms in full bloom at the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in Tokyo, Japan March 14, 2018. REUTERS/Issei Kato

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's government laid out a fresh plan on Friday to boost childcare over the coming three years to stem a relentless drop in the country's birth rate, a move that may lead to another big spending package and strain its already tattered finances.

Under the plan, the government will take steps such as expansion of child allowances to be given without income limits.